The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC), is preparing to release an updated Economic Impact Report during the 2024 Minority Business Opportunity Week observation. Established in 2021 by the GMSDC, in partnership with the state of Georgia and cities and counties all over the state, MBOW is a special celebration of the achievements and economic contributions of Georgia’s minority business community. This year’s festivities mark the 4th annual observation, on September 16 – 20, 2024, which also falls, very fittingly, within Hispanic Heritage Month 2024. The celebration features a weeklong slate of events, panels, commemorations and activities focused on the integral role that minority businesses play in the nation’s Number 1 State for Business.

For more than a decade, the GMSDC has been leading the way in analytical research into minority business development, commissioning multiple studies and research papers exploring the state of minority business and the impact it has across Georgia. Georgia has been widely recognized as a hub for minority business, primarily due to a business-friendly climate, aggressive economic development policy at the state level, and significant technological advancement. The result is unprecedented numbers of entrepreneurial ventures and minority business startups, as would-be business owners take advantage of policies that encourage the growth of small and minority business.

The GMSDC, Georgia’s leading advocacy organization for supplier diversity and minority business development, is nearing its 50th year of helping to create jobs and stimulate Georgia’s economy by facilitating business partnerships between Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) suppliers and the corporations and governmental entities in Georgia. Representing more than 400 corporations and 1,300 MBE suppliers across Georgia, the GMSDC community has long played a significant role in the thriving economy of the Peach State. Business partners within that ecosystem transact revenues in excess of $10 billion annually and create tens of thousands of jobs, with an economic impact expected to exceed $20 billion. The report will provide the latest statistical analysis of the size and scope of the GMSDC’s work, in addition to data analysis and current trends.

The MBOW event calendar changes each year, with different and unique activities associated with each iteration of the week. In addition to the updated Economic Impact Report and numerous proclamations from the State and local municipalities, this year’s lineup included a corporate matchmaking event to introduce corporate Georgia to potential business partners and a Middle Georgia outreach event, in partnership with the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. The Georgia Council will also host the NMSDC National Conference and Exchange on October 20 – 23, 2024, when the Supplier Diversity community will converge on the Georgia World Congress Center. For more information, visit gmsdc.org.