Welcome to The Equity Connection!
Sherrice Thomas, VP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access

The Equity Connection is designed to support both diverse suppliers and companies looking to diversify. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are critical for the success of any organization, and through our newsletter, we aim to create a community that fosters collaboration, growth, and success for all parties involved. We will provide valuable insights, resources, and opportunities for diverse suppliers to connect with potential clients and for companies to find qualified and reliable suppliers that can help them meet their goals. Join our community and be part of creating a more equitable and inclusive business environment that benefits everyone.
2023 Supplier Diversity Benchmarking Report 
Supplier.io released its 2023 Supplier Diversity Benchmarking Report. They collect and analyze actual, objective spending data from 466 companies across approximately fifteen industries. The report includes a data summary along with new opportunities and actionable insights. Here are three key findings from the report.

  • Diverse spending is concentrated in the top companies and suppliers. A high concentration of spend with a smaller number of suppliers represents a risk to the business. If there is a concentration of spend with a few suppliers, industries may miss the opportunity to develop new suppliers and have a bigger impact.

  • Your industry may constrain the success of your program. Specific economics, spend amounts, and requirements may limit where you can spend, or present opportunities that others may not have.

  • Among MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) groups, Asian-American business owners receive the largest percentage of spend across all industries. The High Tech industry has the most spend with this people group.
Urban Business Connection News
The Urban Business Connection started as a collaboration between the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and the Columbus Urban League’s Minority Business Assistance Center to grant free memberships to 30 Black-owned businesses. Thanks to funding from Columbus City Council, this initiative grew to 75 in 2022 and 100 in 2023. Each month, we will feature updates from these amazing businesses.  
Flavor 91 Bistro launched the food truck segment of their business. Click here to learn more.  
The Savrielle at Woodland Park hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 16, 2023. 
 Kennedy’s Kakes will host a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on July 6, 2023. 
Black Kahawa Coffee will be at the Scioto Mile on Friday’s this summer. 
Posh Tea Time Co.’s new trailer, Queen Charlotte, is complete and ready for booking. Look for them at Farmer’s Markets and Food Truck events.  
Empower Our Youth Foundation secured a location and will host a ribbon cutting ceremony in October. 
SavKon Construction, LLC is doing work with Messer Construction, LLC.
J’s Sweet Treats is supplying baked goods to Sonesta Columbus Downtown. 
Doing Business with Victoria's Secret & Co.
Chanel is the Senior Manager of Supplier Diversity at Victoria's Secret & Co. In this capacity, Chanel is responsible for all strategic supplier diversity initiatives, manages the steadily rising diverse spend, and champions the expansion of supplier diversity at Victoria's Secret & Co.

What types of products and services is Victoria’s Secret & Co. buying?

  •  Marketing Print Production
  • Visual Marketing
  • IT/Ops Procurement
  • Visuals /Store Development and Sourcing
  • Business Services / Enterprise Food & Beverage
  • Global Travel and Expense
  • Non-Merchandise Retail Operations
  • Mailroom
  • In-Store Packaging
Tell us about Victoria's Secret's supplier diversity goals.

Building and nurturing a strong commitment to our suppliers has always been important to Victoria’s Secret & Co. As a part of L Brands, we launched our supplier diversity initiative guided by our values -- and as Victoria’s Secret & Co. spun off as a standalone company in 2021, we re-committed to this work as part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy. For us, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is everything. It’s not just about selling products – it's about using our scale and platform to empower the economy in the global communities where we live and work. Partnering with women-, BIPOC-, LGBTQIA+-, Veteran- and People with Disabilities–owned businesses is important to our success and to our role as a leader in the retail industry. Thus, we seek relationships with suppliers that mirror our values by ensuring diversity in their supply base.

What's the most common challenge in this space?

Due to the fact that I am a one-person team, it is essential that I meet with all diverse suppliers and make sure I am linking them to the appropriate corporate stakeholders.

What advice do you have for diverse business owners who want to do business with your organization?

To ensure that the women-, BIPOC-, LGBTQIA+-, Veteran- and/or People with Disabilities-owned companies we work with are owned and operated by a diverse group of people. While other corporations and government entities require formal certification, it's just a preference for VS &Co. If you are qualified but not formally certified, your company could be considered diverse in our program. In addition to building direct relationships between Victoria’s Secret & Co. and diverse business enterprises, we ask our primary suppliers to mirror our practices and work to increase and report their use of diverse suppliers. While supplier diversity seeks to ensure a level playing field in our procurement practices, the decision to award business to a diverse supplier is based on a supplier’s ability to provide the product or service that best meets our business requirements.
 Legislative Corner
Tracking DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) legislation is crucial for awareness, compliance, legal responsibilities, social progress, benchmarking, best practices, and gaining a competitive advantage. It allows individuals and organizations to stay informed, adapt their practice, and actively contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable society. 

Senate Bill 83: Enact Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act


House Bill 151: Enact Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act


For more information, contact Desmond Bryant. 
Bidding Opportunities
Are you interested in exploring bidding opportunities with the City of Columbus and State of Ohio? If so, click on the following links to learn more.  
Next Level DEIA
The business case for equity and inclusion is stronger than ever. That’s why the Columbus Chamber Foundation partnered with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio to offer a 7-week accelerator that equips organizations with the capability to infuse equity and inclusion into their DNA with the goal of enhancing employee engagement, improving business outcomes, and increasing innovation.   

The Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio renewed its investment in the program as our premiere sponsor, so we’re excited to launch the third cohort in August 2023.  

Applications for the third cohort are set to close on Friday, July 14, 2023. To learn more, visit https://columbus.org/next-level-deia/. 
Change Leadership is Imperative for DEIA Success
Leaders recognize the significance of investing significant resources, both in terms of time and finances, into DEIA initiatives. Consequently, fostering change leadership capabilities within your organization becomes crucial. Join us on July 19 for our Inclusion Series, presented by Huntington National Bank and WGU Ohio, to hear more about Leading DEIA Change! In this enlightening session, we have the privilege of learning from esteemed experts who specialize in driving and implementing these transformative practices.
Upcoming Meetings and Events