What Certification Means to Us
Over the course of these last two blogs, we’ve gone over the history behind Certified Women Owned Businesses, Supplier Diversity, and we’ve also taken a look at the process. This final installment will begin to cover perhaps the most important aspect: what does it all mean? In no way will this be a comprehensive answer to such a broad question, but it’s a start.
For us at SPOKE612, being certified means that we have access to resources that support Women-owned businesses. We also have access to contacts within businesses who have supplier diversity programs. Through WBENC, business owners can attend a variety of training events which allow networking with other WBEs (Women’s Business Enterprise). It is invaluable for minority and women owned businesses to become a part of these networks. We can only move forward with each other’s help!
I asked Linda Elmquist about the impact a recent WBENC opportunity had:
“I applied for, was accepted and attended a WBENC sponsored cohort called WeTHRIVE which was held virtually during the COVID lockdown. This 8-week ongoing seminar put me in contact with other WBE’s in the same growth cycles as SPOKE612. Over the 8-weeks, we met virtually a few days a week, attended seminars on varying topics such as cybersecurity, marketing, financial stability, human resources and more. These seminars were lead by some of the nations top executives from companies like Walmart and UPS. The WBE’s were able to meet each other, talk in breakout rooms and share our experiences, troubleshoot our businesses and create solutions to situations many of us were encountering. Many of us who met in WeTHRIVE continue to communicate with each other through groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.”
SPOKE612 can also attend procurement events as Certified Women-Owned Businesses. Procurement events connect large corporations with suppliers to meet their supplier diversity needs we looked at in the first blog of this series. WBENC hosts national conferences each year with large companies who are looking to meet diverse suppliers in attendance.
To SPOKE, the benefits of being a Certified Women Owned Business do not just come from the resources we have access to; being one has proven to be a unique and enriching experience. It is no secret that video production is a male dominated industry. While the freelance world is extremely supportive and collaborative, it’s necessary that we begin diversifying the pool of people who tell and create stories in the video production industry.
SPOKE612’s Sarah Sundahl has had to navigate being a female director in this male-dominated industry. For Sarah, there have certainly been challenges, but being one of the only women on any given set has also driven her. I spoke with her about her experience:
“Do I feel a responsibility being in this position? Sure! I want to be able to help any young woman looking to break into the industry. Be a guide, like I had. Shout-outs to all the badass, powerful women in production who have helped me over the years.”
While the benefit to individual companies becoming certified cannot be understated, I think it is important to look at the grander impact on culture as well.
On a macro level, being a Certified Women Owned Business is a first step. There is a long, long history of Minority, Women-, Veteran-, and LGBT-owned businesses being deeply underrepresented and looked over. It is essential that we look to these voices in every industry and follow their leads to move toward a more diverse future.
SPOKE612 is committed to creating an environment of diversity and inclusion. It’s important as a woman-owned company to be an example of that. We have a responsibility to practice what we preach. When onboarding new freelancers to bring onto our team, it’s always at the forefront of every project to try to hire a diverse crew. We’re thankful for the connections and relationships being a part of WBENC has given us for this reason.
And with that, this blog series on WBENC comes to an end. I hope you learned something new or found something of interest–I know I did while researching and speaking with Linda and Sarah. While the world is dominated by large corporations, it’s the small businesses that make up the colorful fabric of the world. By supporting small businesses and including women-owned businesses among their suppliers, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier diversity programs.
Additional Reading Material:
The 4th Annual State of Diverse Suppliers had been released; download it here.
