International Society of Diversity & Inclusion Professionals-a Certified MBE on 2nd Anniversary

CARY, N.C. - April 24, 2013 - PRLog -- The International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals, the first global comprehensive association spanning all sectors and industries launched two years ago to advance the diversity and inclusion field, is now certified as a 100 percent minority-owned business enterprise by the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC).


Since launching the association on April 29, 2011 during one of the worst economies in American history, the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals has grown to be an award-winning organization with more than 450 members spanning 16 countries and five continents.

“We are extremely excited to be certified as a 100 percent African-American owned corporation by the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council. This certification will help attract more corporate partners through their supplier-diversity programs. Supplier diversity is very important to any comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategy and that is why supplier diversity is one of our organization’s four strategic pillars,” says the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals Founder and CEO Cassandra D. Caldwell, Ph.D. “As our company marks its second anniversary this month, this certification will be key to expanding our business in the years ahead.”

In addition to helping the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals gain capacity and sustainability, the Carolinas MSDC certification will allow our organization to:

• Participate in educational programs and workshops
• Network with corporate members at Carolinas MSDC events
• Gain access to corporate buyers by being listed in the Carolinas MSDC and National Minority Supplier Diversity Development Council MBE
• Forge new opportunities – More than two-third of minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) confirm an increase in revenue as a result of their partnership with the Carolinas MSDC corporate members.

In addition to becoming MBE certified, the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals recently submitted an application for certification as a 100 percent woman-owned business enterprise (WBE) with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
According to the 2013 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, commissioned by American Express OPEN, businesses owned by African American women have skyrocketed. The growth in the number African American women-owned firms increased 258 percent from 1997 to 2013, topping growth rates of all other minority and non-minority women-owned firms. In comparison, the number of non-minority women-owned businesses grew 32 percent during the same time frame. Moreover, the growth in employment (85 percent) and revenue (168 percent) of firms owned by women of color outpaced the growth rates of all women-owned firms by a wide margin. The study also found that the number of women-owned businesses in North Carolina grew 91 percent since 2007, ranking the state third, after Georgia and Texas, for the fastest growth in the number of women-owned firms in the United States.

These findings underscore the important role African American women-owned business enterprises such as the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals play in the nation’s economic recovery.

About Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council
Charlotte, N.C.-based Carolinas MSDC is a nonprofit membership organization of major corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, and universities that operate within North or South Carolina. It promotes and facilitates the development of business relationships between its members and certified minority-owned business enterprises. The Council works to expand business opportunities for minority-owned companies in an effort to build a stronger, more equitable society by supporting and promoting minority business development. Carolinas MSDC has over 170 corporate members and approximately 425 certified minority-owned businesses. The Council organizes networking events, educational sessions and unique opportunities that serve as venues for MBEs and corporate members to come together and identify mutually beneficial opportunities to work with one another. The Carolinas MSDC is funded by membership dues, certification fees, and proceeds from program activities. In addition, funds are also received from the National Minority Supplier Development Council based on allocations by national members with operations in the Carolinas. For more information, please visit http://www.carolinasmsdc.org.

About the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals
The International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals (ISDIP) is the first global comprehensive professional association that spans across industries and across public and private sectors. The ISDIP views diversity and inclusion through a comprehensive lens that includes four strategic pillars: organizational development, supplier diversity, workforce diversity, and community engagement. Membership is open to all public-sector and private-sector professionals with diversity and inclusion job responsibilities and/or interests. The ISDIP is a certified minority-owned business enterprise (MBE).

Not a member of the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals? Go to http://diversityandinclusionprofessionals.org to join.

Contact:
Gail Zoppo
International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals
Media Relations Manager
Centre Green Office Park
1000 Centre Green Way, Suite 200
Cary, NC 27513
919.457.0376
media@isdip.org