Content tagged with News and Announcements

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 19, 2024) — Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment met to commemorate the signing of their joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, with the aim of ensuring minority business...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 22, 2024) —The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today announced the recipients of the 2024 Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards. The National MED Week Awards are the highest level of national recognition that a U.S. minority business enterprise can receive from the Department of Commerce. These prestigious awards...

ATLANTA (October 1, 2024) – As part of their continued efforts to accelerate the growth of minority business enterprises (MBEs) and advance economic equity, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) are collaborating to bring this year’s NMSDC Annual Conference & Exchange and MBDA National Minority Enterprise Development (MED)...

DETROIT (August 1, 2024) – In early August, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Eric Morrissette traveled to Detroit, Michigan to convene a panel on community investment intended to illuminate contracts and resources available to help minority business enterprises (MBEs) grow and scale. Entitled Investing in Our Communities , the Acting Under...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 6, 2024) – The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) invites nominations for the 41st Annual National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards. These awards honor the exceptional achievements of entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations that are advancing business enterprises within underrepresented communities. For more than fifty years, the U.S...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 18, 2024) — Today, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) hosted its second annual Access to Capital Summit at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Access to Capital Summit: Equity in Action convened national banks, investors, trade associations and the government entities that regulate these institutions to discuss trends that affect capital formation for minority...

"This past March, a federal court in Texas decided that even though minority business enterprises “have far less access to capital and credit…due to racial discrimination in lending markets,” Congress violated the Constitution by requiring MBDA to presume that members of specified minority groups experienced discrimination or had impaired ability to compete due to fewer capital and credit...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 25, 2024) – The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) invites nominations for the 41st Annual National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards. These awards honor the exceptional achievements of entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations dedicated to advancing business enterprises within underrepresented communities. For more than fifty years, the U.S...

PEARLAND, TX (June 17, 2024) – On Monday, June 17, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, Eric Morrissette, traveled to Pearland , Texas to meet with Congressman Al Green (TX-09) and Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), and talk with constituents about the local minority business enterprise (MBE) eco-system, the needs of the LGBTQ+ business community, and resources...

MIAMI (June 7, 2024) – On Wednesday, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development Eric Morrissette convened a panel in Miami, Florida for minority business enterprises, as an addition to the Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) National Training Conference (NTC). Entitled Investing in Our Communities: Minority Business Development Agency Panel , the Acting Under...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 3, 2024) – On Friday, May 31, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) held the first-ever meeting of the Minority Business Enterprise Advisory Council (MBEAC). The MBEAC held its inaugural meeting to provide an orientation for new committee members and an overview of future work products to fulfill the Council’s charter and statutory...

SEATTLE (May 21, 2024) – On Thursday, May 16th, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development Eric Morrissette traveled to Seattle to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Port of Seattle. The MOU between MBDA and the Port of Seattle requires collaboration in building public awareness and educational outreach...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 13, 2024) — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month by hosting the National AANHPI Business Summit. The summit will take place on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. ET in Washington D.C. in collaboration with the National Asian...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 8, 2024) – MBDA hosted 43 Capital Readiness Program (CRP) awardees from across the nation for its first implementation meeting at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The two-day program convened awardee administrators and directors for an opportunity to meet Department of Commerce and MBDA staff, network within their cohort, and receive valuable program information. The CRP is a...

CHICAGO (May 3, 2024) – Eric Morrisette, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, traveled to Chicago for the Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Training Week 2024 (SBTW24), where he met with Mr. Farooq Mitha, Director of the DoD Office of Small Business Programs for a fireside chat at the Hilton Chicago. During the chat, the two leaders discussed MBDA’s unique...