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City of Seattle Chosen as 2024 Host City for the National Minority Supplier Development Council Business Economic Forum

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) CEO and President Ying McGuire announced Seattle, Washington as the 2024 host city of the NMSDC Minority Business Economic Forum, May 14 - 16. Mayor Harrell, Zones CEO Firoz Lalji and ASRC Industrial CEO Steve Ennis will serve as co-chairs of this year’s conference along with University of Washington’s president Ana Marie Cauce as the official academic partner of this year’s forum.

“Greater Seattle's blend of cutting-edge tech and green initiatives, led by giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and pioneers like Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy, creates an unparalleled ecosystem. This synergy exemplifies the ideal environment our Forum seeks to leverage for MBEs, offering them unparalleled opportunities to engage with and benefit from emerging technologies and the green economy,” said NMSDC CEO and President Ying McGuire.

Joined by Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council (MSDC) President and CEO Karla Malacon, and Tanya Jimale, CEO of Jimale Technical Services, the mayor and NMSDC made the announcement from Jimale Technical Services, a local NMSDC-certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). The event will bring together 500 of the nation’s most influential corporate c-suite leaders, high growth minority business enterprise founders, policymakers, academics, business, and community leaders. Modeled after Davos’ World Economic Forum, leaders attending this event will focus on advancing supplier and business diversity and opportunities to eliminate the barriers preventing MBEs from fully engaging in the emerging markets and technologies of today and tomorrow. Seattle was chosen as the newest host city due to its pivotal role in technological and green economic innovation.

“We are unapologetic in our efforts to advance a One Seattle vision for a city that is inclusive, equitable, and robust with opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes and industry sectors,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “From our Executive Order expanding contracting equity and access for WMBEs to launching the Liberty Project to help WMBEs grow their revenues—we are committed to fostering a business ecosystem that drives innovation, is home to emerging markets, and creates pathways for substantial economic growth for our WMBE communities. We are thrilled to be chosen as the next host city for the NMSDC Business Economic Forum.”

The theme of this year’s conference is Be Next, Now and acknowledges that technologies like AI and clean energy are revolutionizing how we interact with the world. Under the theme Be Next, Now, attendees will focus on ways to better support WMBE’s ability to explore, adapt, and take advantage of opportunities that already exist and will emerge in the economy as they grow and scale their businesses. Additionally, the programming will provide unique opportunities for business and academic leaders in the Seattle community to join national efforts with their peers from across the country.

Currently, NMSDC is working toward an audacious goal of $1 trillion in annual revenue for NMSDC-certified MBEs — businesses that are 51% owned and operated by individuals from the Black, Asian-India, Asian-Pacific, Hispanic, or Native American community. Increasing the revenue of these MBEs is essential to creating a more resilient, inclusive economy in the region and across the country.