Connecting

Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes and celebrates the contributions Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South American and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean have made to American society and culture. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval ... Read more

From the Director | 50 Years of MBDA Service, MEDWeek Events & More! This month I want to highlight three stellar events for all Minority Business Development Agency stakeholders: clients, service and resource providers, and advocates as well as the community of businesses and organizations with whom our clients do business. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Minority Business Development Agency. The only government agency with the primary mission of promoting growth and competitiveness of the United States' minority-owned ... Read more

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that David J. Byrd will be the new National Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Mr. Byrd will be the 18th National Director of the agency.  Established by an Executive Order in 1969, MBDA is the only Federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority-owned businesses.  “David’s vast experience in public service and as an entrepreneur are true assets to MBDA and the Department of ... Read more

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a period for the duration of the month of May for recognizing the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The Month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7th, 1843, and to ... Read more

The Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched the application process for $50 million in grants to help manufacturers respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Successful applications will allow the MEP Centers to help manufacturers recover from workforce and supply chain interruptions; apply for private insurance claims and disaster loans from the Small Business Administration; and access resources at the federal, state, and local level. MEP Centers may also use the funds to assess the operating needs ... Read more

POSTPONED INDEFINITELY DUE TO COVID-19 Save the date for MiHUB's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Symposium, conducted Tuesday, March 24, 2020, by the Mid-Atlantic Region Minority Business Development Agency Advanced Manufacturing Center - Baltimore at Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. Host organizations include the Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Small, Minority, and Women Owned Business Development; the SMART Congressional Initiative; and the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland. To receive information on the AI Symposium, send your name, position, company/organization, phone number and email address ... Read more

The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has opened a funding opportunity for rapid, high-impact projects that support the nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible institutes are invited to propose projects that may include (but are not limited to) Medical or non medical countermeasuresgrants to accelerate production of critical materialsequipment and suppliesadditional production facilitestechnology road mapping for pandemic response and recoveryleveraging institute capabilities to strengthen state and community resiliencereturning to the U.S. the manufacture of ... Read more

Manufacturers may find these links of help in their efforts to meet workforce, operational, retooling, financing, technical assistance, and other challenges posed to businesses and the greater community by COVID-19. MID-ATLANTIC REGION MBDA ADVANCED MANUFACTURING CENTER PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women-Owned Business DevelopmentMaryland Chamber of CommerceMaryland Department of CommerceMaryland Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business AffairsMaryland Manufacturing Extension PartnershipMaryland TEDCOMBDA Minority Business Development CentersMeridian Management GroupRegional Manufacturing Institute of MarylandVirginia Manufacturers Association NATIONAL Centers for ... Read more

Baltimore MED/SDI Week highlights, plus.... The City of Baltimore has been awarded a $300,000 supplemental funding grant to enable our Mid-Atlantic Region MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center - Baltimore to develop a Manufacturing Cooperative, MiHUB, that will create an ecosystem based on the needs of minority manufacturers. Read more. Read more

The Minority Manufacturing Symposium is focused on business marketing for minority manufacturers and welcomes other businesses and organizations in the supply chain for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) manufacturers. This interactive symposium connects MBEs with government officials and industry leaders to network, share experiences and discuss opportunity for growth. REGISTER Baltimore MEDWeek includes four events. Click this link, click TICKETS, then select the Minority Manufacturing Symposium, Thursday, October 10, 2019, to register. FEATURED Morning Engagement with Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young...Blueprint for Value Creation...Strategies for ... Read more