Page 5 - BEQ Magazine Vol 4 Iss1

BEQ PRIDE ADVISORY BOARD

insight on why this certified LGBTBE® business history. I promised I’d have my team follow-up to
owner is called the Story Doula. get the scoop on their success and how they are ROBIN PULFORD
Supplier Diversity Manager
Speaking of allyship, Julie Tarney shares taking their businesses to the top together. American Airline (Retired)
her perspective and experience as a mother of I have but one more, very important article
an LGBTQ child, now adult. Her wisdom is I want to be sure you see. In my opinion, it’s a
profound, and her advice is gentle as it comes game changer from Stefanie Francis of Hootolo-
from having to navigate unfamiliar terrain and gy. “Hoot what?”… you know I read your mind.
trying desperately not to do any harm. If you Remember, we proudly introduced you to her as
find you are parenting an LGBTQ person, what our BEQ Pride cover feature this time last year.
I’m learning from Julie is you should be sure to Stefanie has proven why inclusion matters.
open your heart first and then listen and listen The data scientist that lives deep inside her was
deeply to your child. Julie’s book and her blog, determined to apply her genius to better under-
both titled My Son Wears Heels, are filled with standing the links between supplier diversity and
universal truths about sexual orientation, gender the metrics that shareholders and the C-suite MICHAEL K. ROBINSON
Program Director, Supplier
identity and expression for any adult caregiver of care most about. She and her Hootology team Diversity
LGBTQ children. have struck gold—that is, for their clients—with IBM Corporation
We also have an amazing piece that high- their brand-new Supplier Diversity Impact
light’s JPMorgan Chase’s Women on the Move Indicator (SDII). We are thrilled to be the first
initiative with managing director Samantha publication to take a closer look and share what
Saperstein, its leader and champion. This they’ve found.
multipronged initiative has an entire component After 50 years of Supplier Diversity, a woman
dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs and and LGBT-owned and certified business brings
business owners grow and expand their busi- us hard core data that supports what we’ve all
nesses. The initiative started in 2013, reaching intuitively known. Go see for yourself. Spoiler
women inside the firm, outside the firm and alert, there is a link between a consumer’s aware-
across the planet. We all win when we invest in ness of Supplier Diversity and their propensity JOY WONG
women and women-owned enterprises. to make a purchase. Kudos to Stefanie and team Corporate Vice President,
It feels good to have resources invested in you, and to the brands who have already signed up Supplier Diversity/Procurement
New York Life
it feels better to deliberately invest in yourself. for a detailed study.
We are introducing to some and reacquainting Happy spring and don’t mind me, I’m going
others to a group of four WBEs on purpose. to get ready for World Pride, LGBT Week® and
They are investing time in each other and in the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. You
themselves with a tried and true circle of friends. see, the world is big enough—you can always
I recall meeting Ebony and Crystal in Detroit find exactly what you’re looking for. See you
while attending the Coca-Cola Women of Color soon.
event where Dee C. Marshall was a featured
speaker. I was getting a sense of their camarade-
rie as well as their dedication to their businesses
from across the table. During the lunch break
they shared they had started a mastermind with
Dee and Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour. True to
form I whipped out my camera and the rest is

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