The Block Report: Minority Enterprise Development Week Edition (Contract Conversion Fuels Growth)

11 min readOct 3, 2022

Hundreds are expected to be in attendance for Genesis Block’s Conversations to Contracts event on Thursday, October 6, at 9 am at the Wilson Center on the campus of Cape Fear Community College.

We are just days away from Genesis Block Presents Converting Conversations to Contracts at the Wilson Center and hundreds are expected to be in attendance. Genesis Block Converting Conversations to Contracts will bring together some of the region’s largest businesses and organizations in order to connect diverse owned companies with contracting opportunities and strengthen supply chains. Genesis Block is partnering with Cape Fear Community College to present Converting Conversations to Contracts for the 8th Annual Cape Fear Minority Enterprise Development Week.

Register here https://genesisblock.zohobackstage.com/GenesisBlockPresentsDiversityinCleanEnergyDiCEConvertingConversationstoContracts

The evidence is clear and suggest minority business owners are making a positive impact in the US economy and are responsible for more than half of all new businesses created, driving our country’s job market.

Cape Fear Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week recognizes and celebrates the achievements and impacts of minority entrepreneurs across southeastern North Carolina, and provides opportunities for networking, expanding, and strengthening businesses https://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/minority-enterprise-development-med-week.

The goal of Converting Conversations to Contracts is to position diverse owned businesses to have the capacity to provide goods and services to support the business operations of large companies and organizations.

“Social justice without economic justice is a one handed clap.” — Charlene Fadirepo is one of the quotes from the Black BlockChain Summit that really resonated with me. As we watch dollars in the DEI space go to more programmatic funding versus capacity building for diverse owned businesses, it’s more important than ever to connect diverse owned businesses to larger organizations where they can acquire customers and contracts as a mechanism for growth,” states Genesis Block President Tracey Newkirk.

Emily Jefferson owner of Avonya’s Blends, has achieved explosive growth in 2022 expanding to 17 locations total, including 9 Lowes Food stores.

According to the United States Small Business Administration, there are 8.2 million minority owned, non employer businesses or sole proprietorships in the country. These businesses accounted for over $1.3 trillion dollars in receipts in 2021. Genesis Block has a vision to enable minority business growth through capacity building for diverse owned businesses, leveraging contract conversion to fuel growth versus external funding sources.

According to Crunchbase, Black startup founders raised a record $1.8 billion in January through June of 2021, 80% more than the $1 billion raised in all of 2020 — but still less than 1.5% of all startup funding for the period

“Over the last few years we have made a lot of discoveries regarding the challenges minorities and diverse owned businesses face in strengthening their ventures. Although there have been strides to expanding funding opportunities the last couple years, tangible access to external funding as a resource to grow businesses is still a steep uphill climb for minorities. We have created new models to support diverse owned businesses in the process of contract access, procurement and capacity building. Contracts and customers can fuel growth with the same impact as funding so converting conversations to contracts is fundamental to the success of diverse owned business,” says Genesis Block CEO Girard Newkirk.

This Block Report will highlight the participants and organizations featured on October 6 at Converting Conversations to Contracts.

Despite their gains, diverse owned businesses continue to face unique challenges from getting started to gaining market share across the country.

Block Report Fact: The U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners shows that 2.5 million, or 82 percent of minority-owned businesses in the U.S., are sole proprietorships.

Speakers and Panelists

Company: North State Bank

Name: Sondra Collins

Bio: Sondra Collins is a senior vice president and mortgage community outreach officer at North State Bank. She leads the Bank’s efforts to help educate and empower individuals and families in our community on their path to homeownership.

Company: Get That Deed and Dixon Realty LLC

Name: Brenda Dixon

Bio: Brenda Dixon is the Owner of Dixon Realty, and has been a full-time Realtor since 1991 in the Cape Fear Region. She is also the Founder of Get That Deed, LLC. A educational platform that help families to become homeownership ready within 18 months or less.

Company: Novant Health

Name: Samantha Voreh

Bio: Samantha Voreh is Senior Director, Supplier Diversity and Inclusion for Novant Health. In her role, Voreh oversees the operations and strategic direction of Novant Health’s Supplier Diversity Program, which is an integral component of Novant Health’s core value of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.

Company: Avonya’s Blends

Name: Emily Jefferson

Bio: Avonya’s Blends sells all-natural, low-sodium seasoning blends. Avonya’s Blends started in the kitchen inside of my home in April 2020 with the blends being bottled by hand. Currently, Avonya’s Blends is sold in 17 store locations including 9 Lowes Foods locations, Novant Health NHRMC Gift Shop and a list of other locally owned stores in Eastern NC

There are 8.2 million minority-owned, non-employer businesses in the United States of America.

Block Report Fact: In the last decade, minority-owned businesses created 4.7 million jobs and generated more than 50% of all new businesses created in the past 2 years in the United States.

Diverse Owned Business Exhibitors

Company: Art By Nugget

Owner: Tiffany Machler

Website: https://www.11oh9gallery.com/shop-new

Company: Defined Designing Floral Concepts

Owner: Rosalia McCollough

Website: https://www.defineddesigning.com/

Company: J Long Custom Homes LLC

Owner: Deseree Muraglia

Website: http://jlongcustomhomes.com/

Company: Get That Deed and Dixon Realty

Owner: Brenda Dixon

Website: https://getthatdeed.com/

Company: Salt Air Heating & Cooling

Owner: Brooke Skipper

Website: https://saltairinc.com/

Company: Creators Print House

Owner: Robert Flood

Website: http://creatorsprinthouse.com/

Company: Be Mo Kind

Owner: Charity Tuttle

Website: https://bemokind.com/

Company: Speller Street Films

Owner: Christopher Everett

Website: https://spellerstreetfilms.bigcartel.com/

Company: That Power Game

Owner: Amanda White

Website: https://www.thatpowergame.com/

Company: Alexis Perry

Owner: The Bash Pad

Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083290153411

Company: Stirewalt Architect PC

Owner: Maria Williams

Website: https://www.johnstirewaltarchitect.com/

Company: Avonya’s Blends

Owner: Emily Jefferson

Website: https://www.avonyasblends.com/

Company: Health Begins From Within LLC

Owner: Tiffany Cripps

Website: https://www.healthbfw.com/

Company: Whimsy Rae’s Artistry

Owner: Rachel Baker

Website: https://whimsyraesartistry.com/

Company: MeMa’s Chicken N Ribs

Owner: Myra and James McDuffie

Website: https://www.memaschicknandribs.com/

Company Name: Michelle Bethea

Owner: Elaborate Outings LLC

Website: https://elaborateoutings.com/

Company Name: Roderick Bell

Owner: RBell Construction LLC

Website: https://www.rbellconstructiongroup.com/

Company Name: ASR Insurance

Owner: Alicia Hansley-Randolph

Website: https://nasbinc.com/

Company Name: Luxe Picnics

Owner: Shawnt’a Smith

Website: https://www.instagram.com/theluxepicniccompany/

Company Name: High Vibrations

Owner: Tamara Clark

Website: https://www.highvibrations2020.com/

Genesis Block has developed a technology platform that promotes diverse-owned businesses and connects them to contracting opportunities. The platform will be a national repository for Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers in and a digital credentialed database of diverse owned businesses.

Block Report Fact: In 2020, there were an estimated 581,200 Asian-owned businesses, 134,567 Black- or African American-owned businesses and 346,836 Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States of America.

We would like to thank our sponsors and community partners for joining Genesis Block on this shared vision to expand contracting opportunities for diverse owned businesses. We believe that organizing stakeholders into an open, collaborative and data driven environment is critical to sustainable success for minority enterprise development.

Sponsors and Community Partners

Presenting Sponsors

Organization: State of North Carolina Department of Transportation

Website: https://www.ncdot.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Supplier Diversity Mission: The North Carolina Department of Transportation understands that small businesses are key to North Carolina’s economic growth. An objective of our DBE Program is to assist in the development of small and minority owned firms, so that they can compete successfully in the marketplace. These type of events allow us to connect with diverse firms.

Organization: North State Bank

Website: https://www.northstatebank.com

Supplier Diversity Mission: Community banks play a special role in the local economy. As much as technology enhances our lives and businesses, an online application will never add the value a business owner has access to when working with a local lender. Sharing connections, best practices and expertise can be a game-changer for a new business. At North State Bank, we have a passion for bringing people and resources together for the betterment of each other and our community.

Organization: Novant Health

Website: https://www.novanthealth.org/

Supplier Diversity Mission: In order to support diverse-business growth and connectivity, Novant Health reaches out to community organizations through supplier-diversity networking and sponsorships activities. It is the intent of Novant Health to be an industry leader at providing historically underutilized businesses the opportunity to participate in the procurement process at both Tier I and Tier II levels.

Minority owned businesses account for almost 20% of U.S. employer businesses.

Block Report Fact: According to the 2020 Annual Business Survey (ABS), which covers reference year 2019, approximately 18.7% (1.1 million) of U.S. employer businesses were minority-owned.

Community Sponsors

Organization: Duke Energy

Website: https://www.duke-energy.com/home

Supplier Diversity Mission: Duke Energy’s supplier diversity program reflects our commitment to inclusion and developing and expanding relationships with diverse businesses owned by minorities, women, persons with disabilities, LGBT, veterans, service-disabled veterans or who are federal HUBZone certified.

Organization: GE Hitachi

Website: https://nuclear.gepower.com/company-info/about-ge-hitachi

Supplier Diversity Mission: Clean energy is our legacy. We are boldly innovating to provide reliable carbon-free power to the world. We are unwavering in the belief that we are part of the solution to climate change. Climate change isn’t an “us” versus ”them” conversation. Climate change is a “we” conversation and so is diversity, equity and inclusion. Everyone has a part in the solution and everyone lives better lives with it.

Organization: State Farm Chrystal Fray, Agent

Website: https://www.chrystalfray.com/

Minority-owned businesses employ 1 out of 10 Americans, and in total, they generate over $1.3 trillion in sales every year.

Block Report Fact: Asian-owned businesses seem to be the most successful among minorities, with the highest receipts of $863.3 billion. Black-owned business had the lowest total sales at $164.75 billion. Hispanic-owned businesses had an accumulated total of $463.8 billion in gross receipts and they were the second highest minority group regarding money earned.

Supporting Sponsors

Organization: J Long Custom Homes LLC

Website:http://jlongcustomhomes.com/

Organization: John Stirewalt Architect PC

Website: https://www.johnstirewaltarchitect.com/

Minority-owned firms are an important part of the US economy and their progress is indicative of the larger US business community. While the Asian and Hispanic American firms have seen higher levels of growth, African American firms have struggled to keep up.

Block Report Fact: On average, a minority-owned firm had $1.2 million in annual sales and employed 8 workers.

Creative Sponsors

Organization: National Association of Women in Construction-Wilmington Cape Fear Chapter

Website: https://www.nawiccapefear.org/

Supplier Diversity Mission: The National Association of Women in Construction is an international non-profit association that promotes and supports the advancement and employment of women in the construction industry.

Organization: Bank of America

Website: https://www.bankofamerica.com/

Supplier Diversity Mission: Through our Supplier Diversity program, we support the growth of minority, women, veteran, disabled, service-disabled veteran, LGBT+ and other diverse-owned suppliers. Through our continued focus, we spend $2B+ with diverse businesses every year, which in turn helps communities thrive through business development and job growth.

Organization: Truist

Website: https://www.truist.com/

Supplier Diversity Mission: Our mission is to ensure our suppliers reflect who we are as a community and company. Through qualified and innovative diverse-businesses, we provide value-added supplier partnerships that enhance our client experience, strengthen our operations and enrich our communities.

With their share of total receipts jumping from $907.0 billion in 1997 to $1.3 trillion in 2019, there is no denying that minority-owned businesses are playing a more visible role in the business world than ever before.

Block Report Fact: 99.9% of minority-owned businesses with employees are small businesses. Minority-owned businesses have the potential to greatly impact our society as they grow in number and spread out across the globe.

Location Sponsors

Organization: Cape Fear Community College

Website: https://cfcc.edu/

Organization: Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College

Website: https://wilsoncentertickets.com/center-info/

The US Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) reports that minority-owned businesses have high job-creation rates.

We look forward to seeing you at The Wilson Center. Here are the event details.

Event: Genesis Block Presents Converting Conversations to Contracts

Register here: https://genesisblock.zohobackstage.com/GenesisBlockPresentsDiversityinCleanEnergyDiCEConvertingConversationstoContracts

Description: Genesis Block has developed a technology platform that promotes diverse-owned businesses and connects them to contracting opportunities. The platform will be a national repository for Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers in and a digital credentialed database of diverse owned businesses. Join us for this networking event to learn more about the millions of dollars in contracting opportunities for diverse owned businesses. Corporations, governments and procurement leaders get the opportunity to identify reliable trade partners.

Where: The Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College

Date: Thursday, October 6, 2022

Time: 9am-11am