FH4Inclusion Joins National Minority Supplier Development Council in its 50-Year-Long Fight for Racial and Economic Equity
When the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) recognized its 50th anniversary could be an opportunity to revitalize and broaden awareness of its brand in 2022, it turned to FleishmanHillard, who took on the project as part of it’s FH4Inclusion pro bono work to make it happen.
FleishmanHillard joined fellow Omnicom agencies to support NMSDC, which included Omnicom Media Group’s Diverse Creators Network (DCN) certification initiative and BBDO’s pro-bono, award-wining creative services. Our collective work with NMSDC is one of Omnicom’s largest diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) efforts externally to date.
NMSDC is the longest-operating business growth engine for systemically excluded communities of color. It supports and certifies their businesses and corrects their unequal access to wealth-building opportunities. For a sense of its sheer scale and impact, the certified minority business enterprise (MBE) network generated over $261 billion in revenue last year alone, created ~$400 billion in economic output and supported 1.75 million jobs. NMSDC has an aspirational goal of achieving $1 trillion in certified MBE annual revenue generation.
And the organization doesn’t only work with mom-and-pop shops. It’s been able to grow small start-ups into multi-billion-dollar enterprises over time.
NMSDC CEO and president, Ying McGuire has an awe-inspiring story of her own: Arriving to the United States from China with only a suitcase and $1,000 to her name, Ying did not have an easy path to the American Dream. She built a successful career as a tech executive, then found herself at a crossroads after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Ying felt compelled to be a part of the growing social justice movement and, as fate would have it, she was approached to fill the top spot at NMSDC shortly thereafter. She quit her tech role and literally changed her entire life to serve MBEs and help close the racial and economic wealth gap in communities of color. Ying says it’s her calling, not simply a job.
FleishmanHillard’s mission was to tell NMSDC’s narrative to the world and introduce Ying as its first Asian American leader in its 50-year history. In addition, we were tasked with generating buzz around two key conferences – its inaugural Minority Business Economic Forum in May (kicking off its goal of generating $1 trillion in certified MBE annual revenue) and its 50th Anniversary Conference & Exchange taking place this month.
The agency quickly went to work and secured a Bloomberg Quicktake segment for Ying where she talked about NMSDC and its impact, a New York Times story that highlights the rise and success of one of NMSDC’s member companies, a Black Enterprise story that quoted Ying in a recap of NMSDC’s Economic Forum and a byline in Bizwomen spotlighting Ying and her work.
And with the help of our network, ABC Chicago attended NMSDC’s May Economic Forum.
We’re now supporting NMSDC’s conference this week and continuing executive visibility efforts on behalf of Ying. We will also be bringing together FleishmanHillard employees from across our offices to participate in an Hour of Service to support NMSDC.
A big shout out to the entire FH4Inclusion team and supporting partners for all of their amazing work on this project. We are all so honored to have the opportunity to work with NMSDC in their fight for racial and economic equity.
“FleishmanHilliard has been an invaluable partner as we celebrate NMSDC’s 50th anniversary and take the necessary steps to accelerate minority business enterprise (MBE) growth over the next 50 years towards the ultimate goal of ending the racial wealth gap once and for all,” said NMSDC CEO and President, Ying McGuire.
NMSDC is one of the many organizations helping FH4Inclusion reach its goal of providing $7.5 million worth of pro bono services by the end of 2022.
