ABOUT

Communities thrive through differences. At WRMSDC’s Multi-Industry Supplier Inclusion Conference, we will take attendees on a journey through different industries and perspectives to help us uplift each other and gain insight into better, smarter, and kinder ways of doing business in this ever-changing world. This year’s conference will focus on connections, opportunities, and intel that can help our suppliers thrive and will also connect buyers, procurement reps, and supplier inclusion professionals with suppliers who can strengthen their supply chain.

ABOUT WRMSDC

Our mission is to end poverty in communities of color by helping minority entrepreneurs create intergenerational wealth and good paying jobs.

Date & Time

Friday, August 23, 2024
10:00 AM to 3:30 PM PT

Location

The Bridges Golf Club
9000 S. Gale Ridge Rd
San Ramon, CA 94582

Suggested Hotel Accommodations

Tickets

If you don't know how to use the discount code, please email carissa@storyvillerd.com for help!
ALL SALES ARE FINAL; NO REFUNDS!
Please *do not* purchase a ticket and ask for a refund, as we will not be able to accommodate you.

Free tickets are now SOLD OUT! We may release tickets as they’re donated back from our members as the event draws closer.

MBEs & DIVERSE BUSINESSES: FREE TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT
Thanks to the generous support of our Make A Difference Supporters, certified MBEs and Diverse Businesses can attend the DAY 1 event free.

CORPORATE ORGANIZATIONS: $350
Enter Promo Code: GC24-CORP for $50 OFF

Supporters

Please support our Conference!

Event Supporters

Make a Difference Supporters

This DAY 1 Conference is free for Diverse Businesses to attend, thanks to the generosity of our Make a Difference Supporters.

Premier Members

MBE Platinum Partners

Annual Video Production Supporter

Annual Branding Partner

Agenda

All times listed are in Pacific Daylight Time and activities may change

Activities

Golf Clinics

Golf Clinics will be run by experienced professionals and volunteers sharing their time to teach attendees the basics on a first-come, first-served basis.

Headshots

Do you need an updated business headshot that reflects your best self but have been procrastinating because of time, expense, and hassle? Come dressed to impress and let our photographer do the rest!

Visit our Business Headshot station at designated times during the Conference to take your complimentary headshots. You will receive your digital headshot files one week after the event to use in your future speaking engagements, LinkedIn profile, company profile, and wherever else you need it.

Video Booth

Register Now

Mix N’ Mingle Networking Activity

Join our Mix 'n Mingle Networking activity, where you'll spark conversations and make connections by collecting signatures from fellow Conference attendees to complete your networking card—drop it in the collection box at registration for a chance to win a prize at the end of the event! (Winner will be randomly chosen and MUST be present to win)

Lunch & Programming

Welcome

Donna Ruff

President & CEO

Donna Ruff is an accomplished corporate leader with more than 20 years of management experience and a solid background in Supplier Diversity, executive leadership, and business development. Her expertise in program direction, contract negotiations, and sustainability initiatives has enabled her to develop and implement metrics, analyses, improvements, timelines, budgets, and processes that drive cost-saving innovations. Donna's vision for empowering minority-owned businesses will drive positive impacts in Northern California, Nevada, and Hawai'i. Recognized with accolades like the 2020 WRMSDC MBEIC People's Choice, the 2022 Supplier Diversity Leader of the Year, and the 2023 Top 5 Most Influential Women in D&I by CIO Views, Donna is a powerful advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Lili Kwan

Senior Manager, Racial Equality and Justice Taskforce - Purchasing

Lili Kwan is a seasoned supply chain responsibility professional with decades-long experience in sourcing and developing sustainable and inclusive supply chains. She has implemented various programs that advance equity and justice in the diverse business community, many in partnership with community-based organizations. These include technical assistance training, mentorship, and prime supplier engagement programs. Her deep business operations background also includes management of regulatory compliance, supplier risk, metrics and reporting, communication strategy, and engagement.

Artificial Intelligence, Business Interactions,
and the Future

Cecil Plummer

Chief Executive Officer

In October of 2023, Cecil Plummer began serving as the CEO of MojoHire AI, a minority-owned company that uses the power of intuitive artificial intelligence to plug into and turbocharge all of the most popular talent acquisition systems resulting in reduced time to hire, reduced cost to recruit, and is equipped with state-of-the-art bias filters available to help companies achieve their inclusion goals in their hiring practices. For eight years, Cecil served as the President and CEO of the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council (WRMSDC), one of the 23 regional affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). During his tenure, the Council reached record levels of revenue, profitability, and increased customers. Under Plummer’s leadership the organization won three national titles for excellence and launched several innovative programs.

Make a Difference Speakers

Ayanna Nobles

District Branch Chief

Ayanna Nobles is a District Branch Chief for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) representing District 4 Bay Area Division of External Affairs. Ayanna has 25 years of service with Caltrans and her leadership experience spans 6 years. In her current role Ayanna is responsible for managing and planning the daily activities of District 4’s Small Business Program and the California Public Records Act branch. ​Ayanna holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal Studies with minor a in Africana studies from San Francisco State University. She’s also studied Classical African civilization in Egypt and Ghana. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time in nature, music, and private time with family and friends.

Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG)

Que Alicea

Founder

Que Alicea, founder of QACL, is a Certified Environmental Scientist with extensive training in asbestos, lead, mold, hazardous materials management, air quality and sustainability. She leads a team of environmental professionals with over 60 years of combined experience, serving municipalities, utilities, aviation, affordable housing, schools, and commercial entities. As one of the few African American women-owned firms in the Bay Area's Environmental Services Industry, Ms. Alicea has received multiple accolades, including the 2021 Emerging Leader Award and 2022 WBE of the Year from WBENC Pacific. In 2023, she was honored by San Francisco Mayor London Breed for completing the GD2B program. Committed to community development, Ms. Alicea has established mentorship and internship programs, focusing on educating and employing community members in East Palo Alto. She actively participates in various professional organizations, including the Bart Advisory Council, WBECP forum, MBEIC board, and the San Francisco Latino Black Builders Association, advocating for minority-owned businesses.

Jose Espinoza

Senior Manager of Sustainable Procurement & ESG

Jose Gabriel is the Senior Manager of Sustainable Procurement & ESG at Jacobs. In this role, he coordinates with Procurement and Supply Management, Corporate Sustainability, Finance and other stakeholders to define, design, and implement projects and programs related to supplier diversity, climate action, environmental sustainability, and human rights. He holds certificates in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School and Environmental, Social & Governance from the United Nations Global Compact. Jose is fluent in French and Spanish.

Accessibility for All: Disability Inclusion
& Equality in Business

Philip Devliegher

Vice President, Supplier Diversity

Philip serves as Vice President of Supplier Diversity at Disability:IN, developing and leading Disability:IN’s global supply chain and supplier diversity program strategy and execution. As a passionate advocate committed to providing relevant and innovative supplier diversity & inclusion expertise, he has been actively involved with Disability:IN’s supplier diversity program since its inception in 2010. With more than 20 years of corporate experience in supplier diversity, human resources and talent acquisition, as well as nearly 10 years of entrepreneurship and non-profit leadership in supplier diversity, he brings a unique perspective to his role. He is a certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®), the premier cross-culturally valid assessment for building cultural competence in individuals and organizations.

Empowering Indigenous Enterprises:
Navigating Current Challenges
and Future Opportunities

David Mowry

President & CEO

David Mowry, PE, is an accomplished, award-winning engineer and leader committed to strengthening diverse communities through innovative designs. With over 30 years of experience, he's shaped large-scale programs and critical infrastructure throughout the Western US. Strategically focused on sustainability, he has led hundreds of water, power generation, renewables, energy storage, and green mobility projects. David has integrated the focus on service, quality, and integrity into every stage of his career. In 1996, he joined Blair, Church & Flynn as a civil engineer. David applied his entrepreneurial spirit, and ten years ago, he invested heavily in the corporation and took over as President/CEO. As a tribal member of the Southern Sierra Miwok Indians, David's investment equipped Blair, Church & Flynn to become certified as a Native American owned business. Today, through smart growth and strategic foresight, Blair, Church & Flynn is a nationally recognized multi-disciplinary consulting firm committed to helping clients prepare for the future by developing safe and impactful infrastructure solutions.

Golf Workshop Host

Heather Nguyen

Senior Vice President, Small Business Market Manager

Heather joined Bank of America 24 years ago and continued her career path in Retail Banking. Throughout her career, she moved into sales, operation, and leadership roles at multiple locations in Northern California and Las Vegas. With extended experience in managing teams in Consumer and Preferred Banking, she brings over her experience to Small Business with a team of field-based bankers throughout the East Bay communities focusing on delivering resources and information to help small business clients navigate what’s happening now and prepare for what’s next. Her team provides industry-leading advice, connections, tools and solutions for small business owners, along with dedicated support to address their unique needs to bank how, where and when they want. Our small business specialists offer banking, credit and cash management solutions, providing entrepreneurs with a business advantage.

Industry Leader Panel:
Opportunities & What's Hot in the Industry

Moderator

Donna Ruff

President & CEO

Donna Ruff is an accomplished corporate leader with more than 20 years of management experience and a solid background in Supplier Diversity, executive leadership, and business development. Her expertise in program direction, contract negotiations, and sustainability initiatives has enabled her to develop and implement metrics, analyses, improvements, timelines, budgets, and processes that drive cost-saving innovations. Donna's vision for empowering minority-owned businesses will drive positive impacts in Northern California, Nevada, and Hawai'i. Recognized with accolades like the 2020 WRMSDC MBEIC People's Choice, the 2022 Supplier Diversity Leader of the Year, and the 2023 Top 5 Most Influential Women in D&I by CIO Views, Donna is a powerful advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Tech & Manufacturing, including Fintech

Headshot & Bio forthcoming
 

Construction, Utilities, & Home Improvement,
including insight into AB 2873

Mick Penn

Community Relations Director

Mick Penn works for Swinerton as the Northern California Regional Community Relations Liaison. Mr. Penn spearheads Swinerton’s workforce development, small, diverse, veteran business outreach and community engagement in Northern California. Mr. Penn currently serves on the board of directors of the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council, Cypress Mandela Training Center, Mission Hiring Hall, Construction Industry Education Foundation Board of Trustees, and the City of Richmond Workforce Development Board. In 2021, Mr. Penn was named the Western Regional Minority Development Council’s Supplier Diversity Leader of the Year and the Associated General Contractors of California’s Construction Education Foundation Friend Award winner. Mr. Penn has a BA from San Francisco State and a Master of Public Administration from University of San Francisco.

Staffing & Professional Services, including
Marketing Trends, Travel & Tourism

Amanda Humrichouse

Client Partner at PTR Global

Amanda Humrichouse is a Client Partner at PTR Global, a Pinnacle Group company, where she focuses on growing the Communications, Media, and Technology portfolios for the Talent Solutions division of the firm at the enterprise level. Prior to this role, she honed her skills in the rigorous sales unit at AT&T. She recently graduated from the NMSDC Advanced Management Education Program - Kellog School of Business at Northwestern University. Amanda has a degree in Communication & Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin where she continues to give back through time and leadership as the youngest member of the UT Austin McCombs School’s Center for Global Business Advisory Board. Amanda currently resides in Dallas, TX, home to Pinnacle’s Global corporate headquarters.

Finance & Healthcare

Ernie Flores

Supplier Diversity and Inclusion Manager

Ernie Flores leads the Supplier Diversity program for Kaiser Permanente. He oversees and advocates for securing a spend worth more than $3.4 billion (2022) with diverse companies in staffing, professional and business services, and marketing sector. Ernie is also responsible for relationship building, supplier diversity compliance efforts, and creating strategic alliances for upcoming sourcing initiatives across the organization.

Government

Karmin Bailey

Supplier Diversity Manager

Karmin Bailey is the Supplier Diversity Manager for Southwest Gas. Karmin brings over 23 years of experience in various roles in finance, procurement, compliance and business diversity. Recognized as an Outstanding Diversity Champion by Columbus Business First in 2020, Karmin strives to think beyond compliance and achieve measurable results in business diversity programs. Karmin has served on the Global Board of Directors and the Diversity & Inclusion subcommittee for the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), and is a member of Government Finance Officers Association and American Contract Compliance Association. Karmin is a graduate of The Ohio State University with dual degrees in Accounting and Finance, and is a Certified Management Accountant, Certified Public Finance Officer and Contract Compliance Administrator.

WRMSDC’s Community-Based Organization Partners

Access

Please contact v@wrmsdc.org if you have access questions or require accommodations to fully participate at the Conference. We will also ask each attendee during the registration process for any accommodations they may need, including: materials provided in formats like large print, text-only, electronic files, etc.; communication aids like American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting, other interpreting, etc.; and other needs.

Seating arrangements will be table rounds throughout the Garden Pavilion, with no designated seating to allow guests to select their own seats to encourage networking and relationship building. We will have a table reserved for folks with mobility needs. Please notify carissa@storyvillerd.com ahead of time if you need a seat so they can reserve a place for you and show you the location of your reserved seats during various activities.

Menu

Continental Breakfast
(Available Starting at 10:00 AM):

• Assorted Pastries and Muffins
• Fresh Whole Fruit
• Yogurt Parfait with Granola
• Bacon
• Assortment of Juices
• Fresh Brewed Coffee
• Herbal Tea

The Bridges Boxed Lunch
(Served at 12:00 PM):

• Choice of sandwich served on croissant/house bread:
  • Turkey
  • Roast Beef
  • Vegetarian/Vegan
    (Lettuce, cheese (optional), Zucchini, & Mushroom)
• Chips
• Fresh Baked Cookie
• Whole Fruit
• Bottled Water

Ice Cream Sundae Bar
(Available from 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM):

• Build Your Own Ice Cream Sundae!
  • Vanilla Ice Cream
  • Chocolate Ice Cream
• Sauce Options: Caramel & Hot Fudge
• Toppings: Crushed Oreo Cookies | Cherries | Whipped Cream | Roasted Peanuts | Rainbow Sprinkles

Hosted Bar
(Service Begins at 1:15 PM)

• Cocktails
• Beer
• Wine

Video Booth

Know Before
You Go

• Attire: Business/Business Casual, or wear anything that makes you feel your best, most authentic self and the version of you that you want to proudly share with the world.
• Parking: There is parking available at The Bridges Golf Club on a first come first serve basis

Contact

WRMSDC's mission is to end poverty in communities of color by helping minority entrepreneurs create intergenerational wealth and good paying jobs. Please visit us online at www.wrmsdc.org.

V Liwai Garcia
VP of Program Development
& Minority Business Services
v@wrmsdc.org

Sheena Lyons
Director of Events
sheena@wrmsdc.org

Carissa Simao
WRMSDC Events Coordinator
Administrative and Project Management Coordinator
carissa@storyvillerd.com

Please contact v@wrmsdc.org for questions about the Conference.

For phone inquiries, call (510) 686-2555 and ask for Sheena.

Contact Us