DiversityBusiness.com, the nation’s leading multicultural website, honored a distinguished group of individuals who have demonstrated unprecedented commitment to expanding workplace and marketplace prospects for minority- and women-owned businesses. And true to its name, the honorees were, well, diverse and hailed from all sectors of the business world. Recipients of the Champions of Diversity Award ranged from procurement officer Gloria Pulani, who’s in aerospace procurement; to Jesse Moore, director of supplier diversity at Purdue University. They, along with other entrepreneurs and business leaders, were recognized for their positive impact and improving the economic climate.
Conference and corporate standouts included the Walmart Corporation, which received the award for best business practices. The retailer was honored for the volume and consistency with which it does business with women- and minority-owned businesses. Walmart has expended 8 billion dollars in product and service contracts with women-owned businesses, recognizing that 85 percent of brand purchases are made by women.
Lunden discussed her personal strategies for success, and stressed the importance of saying yes. “I always say yes to a career or business opportunity, whether I have the expertise or not and I figure it out later … Not only is it never too late to change your life, but each of us writes our own life story. … You write your own next page,” she said.
Diversity Business.com’s 11th annual National Multicultural Business Conference continues through Thursday, April 21. The conference, which is co-hosted by actress Robin Givens, will conclude with a procurement panel discussion at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 21.
–roz edward
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For more information, visit www.diversitybusiness.com.
