The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC), which has been serving Georgia’s business community for five decades, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2025. What originated as a supplier diversity initiative to give Atlanta’s minority business community a legitimate seat at the table in corporate supply chains, has evolved into so much more over the years. Always in search of ways to have greater impact and meet the current needs of a changing business landscape, the GMSDC has launched a number of programs and initiatives designed to address emerging areas of importance to the Council’s constituents. Real-world experiences and community feedback identified a gap in the GMSDC’s portfolio…the small or minority-owned businesses that are too small to work with corporate supply chains or who offer products and services that global supply chains don’t typically purchase. To address business acumen and leadership development in these niche companies, the GMSDC created the Community Business Development Program (CBDP).
Housed within the Council’s educational non-profit, the Georgia Education Foundation, the CBDP has been a huge hit in that unique sector of businesses who fit the program’s target profile. Local retailers, salons, repair shops, restaurants, niche boutiques, caterers and startup professional services practitioners are but a few of the many types of businesses the program serves. These companies make phenomenal contributions to the economic health, sustainability and longevity of the neighborhoods where they do business. They hire local people, invest in facilities and real estate, support community initiatives like youth sports and local fundraisers, and prevent the kind of blight and decay that plague communities without thriving local businesses. The infusion of wages and salaries into the local economy creates business opportunities for subcontractors and suppliers, while assisting area families in their pursuit of the American Dream. Essentially, these companies are the lifeblood of their home turf, and the backbone of micro economies all cross the state.
Participating companies sign up for a series of classes and sessions designed to increase their business acumen, enhance their financial literacy, and equip them with same tools for success that are available to larger companies. In partnership with the University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Centers, the CBDP offers mission-critical training in vital areas such as finance, technology, operations, marketing, and infrastructure, exponentially increasing the odds of long-term success for the attendees.
This year’s cohort, which kicked earlier this month, is comprised of 10 companies, following on the heels of the 15 companies who graduated from the program last year. Some sessions in the CBDP curriculum are so essential to a healthy business that they are offered to other suppliers in the larger GMSDC community, including those who regularly engage corporate supply chains. The information presented on Access to Capital alone – one of the moist stubborn challenges for emerging businesses – can be life changing, ensuring a business can grow and serve well into the future.
The participating companies in the CBDP include:
Biz Chica
Builders Tech Services
Gen-Transport
MyHrLane
Nineteen Eleven Solutions Inc.
Prosystems
Sturgeon IT LLC
Tender Hands Private Homecare
Trudata Digital
Unique Threads
The GMSDC strives to be a nimble, client-focused organization that studies the marketplace, listens to feedback and responds in ways that help Georgia companies succeed. The community Business Development Program is bright spot in a challenging business landscape for small companies. Visit georgiaeducationfoundation.org for more information.
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