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Featured photo: Last Thursday’s Business Bridge Minority Business Contracting Expo attracted more than 100 representatives of minority-owned small businesses, connecting them to larger Genesee County organizations, as well as networking and training opportunities.
FLINT, Mich. — The Business Bridge Minority Business Contracting Expo attracted more than 100 representatives of local buyers, resource providers, and minority-owned small businesses to last Thursday’s event that featured business speakers, information about resources, and networking opportunities.
TheFlint & Genesee Economic Alliance, a division of theFlint & Genesee Group, hosted the expo at the New Jerusalem Full Gospel Baptist Church in Flint. The expo is an extension of the Business Bridge, a digital business directory of minority-owned local businesses launched last year. The directory currently includes more than 200 businesses.
“This type of event is an eye-opener about what’s going on in our community,” Preston Means, president of Accu-Shape Die Cutting Inc., said about the expo.
Means added: “I’ve met at least one business that offers a service I could potentially use. I’ll be sharing their information with my team so we can follow up and get more information.”
In addition to this week’s expo, the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance recently kicked off a monthly training series that features sessions on banking, branding and contract strategies to help members access professional education and foster community connection.
“Business Bridge started as a way to connect minority-owned businesses in Flint & Genesee with larger buyers and contract opportunities,” said Tyler Rossmaessler, executive director of the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance.
Rossmaessler added: “We are thrilled to be able to expand its impact by offering professional training and other opportunities for local businesses to come together.”
Efforts like Business Bridge, which ensure racial equity and reduce disparities, helped the Flint & Genesee Group earn an honorable mention in the Ragan Communications 2023 CSR & Diversity Awards in the category of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitment. Ragan Communications delivers news, training and intelligence to leaders in communications, human resources and marketing with conferences, webinars and other training opportunities.
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More than 100 attend minority-owned business expo hosted by Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance
