Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Centers across America celebrated Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week, a venue for minority-owned businesses to access information, tools, and resources to grow their businesses both domestically and abroad. 

Each year, thousands of minority-owned firms across a variety of industries converge upon various cities to connect with public and private sector buyers, explore avenues for business expansion, and develop thriving partnerships with firms across multiple industry sectors. These goals are accomplished through networking events, workshops, and issue forums including, business-to-business matchmaking, and networking opportunities with multinational corporations, government representatives and leading entrepreneurs. The MBDA Business Centers culminate the week with an awards presentation where they honor minority-owned firms, entrepreneurs and advocates who are contributing to the minority-business community. 

“The MED Week legacy was started 32 years ago under the Ronald Reagan Administration,” said Joann Hill, Chief of MBDA’s Office of Business Development, at the Baltimore MBDA Business Center’s MED Week on Oct. 20. “Honored by Presidential Proclamation, MED Week epitomizes the legacy of champions in the minority business community who have and continue to advocate for equity, parity, and the opportunity to compete on a level playing field for women and minority-owned businesses.” 

The Phoenix MBDA Business Center used the MED Week opportunity to partner with the Thunderbird School of Global Management for the second annual Global Business Conference. During the two-day conference, topics included international business opportunities with Mexico, Canada, India, China, Africa and South America and the nuts and bolts needed to succeed in international business: financing, risk mitigation and logistics. Overall, the event provided a platform to talk about the National Export Initiative (NEI) and how it can benefit minority business enterprises. 

In Chicago, the focus was on merger and acquisition opportunities, as the MBDA Business Center there partnered with the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) to co-host the 2014 Minority Finance Forum and 15^th Annual Midwest ACG Capital Connection. 

MBDA celebrated the National MED Week event in August and is already planning for next year’s celebration. For more information on MED Week or on our MBDA Business Centers, please visit: www.mbda.gov.

This week the Minority Business Development Agency will be hosting the 30th Anniversary National Minority Enterprise Development Week and on Friday, November 30, 2012, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation about Minority Enterprise Development Week, 2012.

MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT WEEK, 2012

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

At the core of who we are as a Nation is a fundamental belief: that no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, if you have an idea and a willingness to work hard, you can succeed. It is this belief that leads a worker to leave a job to become her own boss, propels a basement inventor to sell a new product, or drives an amateur chef to open a restaurant. It is this belief that has drawn millions to our shores and spurred America's prosperity for centuries.

The belief in tomorrow's promise is guiding minority entrepreneurs across our country to start the kinds of businesses that make up the backbone of our economy. With a combined economic output of $1 trillion, minority-owned firms are key producers in an array of industries, hubs of innovation and new technology, and engines of job creation in our communities.

Because the continued growth and success of minority enterprises is essential to our economic recovery, my Administration has taken steps to help bolster these businesses. Through the Minority Business Development Agency, we are providing access to capital, consulting, contracts, and markets to minority entrepreneurs seeking to expand their businesses at home and overseas. We are also making it easier for business owners to find Federal resources with www.BusinessUSA.gov, a centralized, one-stop platform for businesses to access services to help them grow and hire.

As the number and size of minority-owned firms continue to expand, we must harness the diversity and power of these businesses to help strengthen our economy and put people back to work. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Minority Enterprise Development Week, let us honor the role America's minority-owned businesses play in spurring our prosperity and recommit to equipping them with the tools for success in the 21st century.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 2 through December 8, 2012, as Minority Enterprise Development Week. I call upon all Americans to celebrate this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to recognize the many contributions of our Nation's minority enterprises.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

This morning Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank addressed the 29th Annual Minority Enterprise Development Week Conference about the importance of Congress passing the American Jobs Act. Dr. Blank emphasized that the American Jobs Act will help a private sector in need of a little boost. It will create jobs. It will prevent the layoffs of teachers and first responders. And it will rebuild the roads, railways and airports that form the very backbone of Commerce. 

She noted that the Obama Administration knows government can’t solve all the problems facing our country. What it can do is help lay a foundation for growth and create smart incentives for minority entrepreneurs and all American businesses to build something special on top of that foundation.

As part of this commitment to business and job growth, among the programs the administration has created are:

• The Startup America Initiative, which connects established private sector mentors to innovative entrepreneurs;
• The Small Business Jobs Act, which is providing billions of dollars in lending support and tax cuts for small businesses;
• The $33 million Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge to drive job growth through public-private partnerships in regions around the country, and we’re pleased to note that three MBDA centers were among the winners.
• The National Export Initiative, which Commerce leads, is aimed at connecting small and medium sized enterprises with the 95 percent of the world’s consumer who live outside our border and doubling U.S. exports by 2015; and,
• New aggressive steps by federal agencies, which are the nation’s largest purchaser of goods and services, to improve contracting with small businesses, including minority-owned firms.

The goal is simple. It is to improve the overall competitiveness of American business at home and abroad.