The Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (ChicagoMSDC) is a premier organization for increasing business opportunities between major buying organizations and minority-owned businesses.
Mission
Our mission is to certify, develop, connect, and advocate for minority and small suppliers as the premier supplier development organization creating sustainable and profitable relationships between small and minority business enterprises and major buying organizations.
History
In 1968, a chain of events erupted into civil and economic mayhem that shook Chicago at its very core. Rising above the turmoil, a group of corporate and community leaders were determined to cast a spotlight of hope on seemingly hopeless situations and created The Chicago Business Opportunity Day. The following year in 1969, the Chicago Business Opportunity Day was officially re-named the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF), and the Chicago Regional Purchasing Council (“CRPC”) was born.
As the founding and oldest affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Chicago Regional Purchasing Council DBA Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (“ChicagoMSDC”) is a 501(c)(3) nationally recognized leader in the field of small and minority business development and economic empowerment. In 1972, the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) was chartered providing increased procurement and business opportunities focusing on minority businesses of all sizes. First in the nation, ChicagoMSDC was the model other cities adopted to chart councils of their own.
Philosophy
ChicagoMSDC was founded on two fundamental principles: there had to be a partnership between minority business, corporate America and government, and there had to be basic fairness in the marketplace for all. It has since evolved to include small and minority business enterprises.
For more than two decades, ChicagoMSDC has operated on the premise that all those who have an idea to sell and a dream to fulfill and are willing to sacrifice and take risks can get the opportunity to do so anywhere in the country. Along the way, small and minority businesses have created jobs for American workers, increased the tax base and contributed to the gross national product. ChicagoMSDC supports the premise that the overriding reason for business development is job creation. The effective creation of above-the-poverty-level jobs benefit not only the small business economy but the national economy as well.
About
Founded in 1969, the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (ChicagoMSDC) is a premier organization for increasing business opportunities between major buying organizations and small and minority-owned businesses.
The Network
ChicagoMSDC is one of 23 affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), a nonprofit corporate membership organization that advances business opportunities for its certified business enterprises and connects them to its corporate members.
For the small and diverse business entrepreneurs, ChicagoMSDC’s programs and resources are avenues for increasing sales to private- and public-sector buying organizations. For the buyer, ChicagoMSDC serves as a credible resource for locating qualified small and suppliers. To both the entrepreneur and the buyer, ChicagoMSDC is the central network where a diverse supplier ecosystem lives and business alliances flourish.
The ChicagoMSDC partnership includes over 250 private-and public-sector buying organizations and nearly 1,000 minority businesses. Buying members report over $3 billion in annual purchases from small and minority businesses. Certified Business Enterprise members report the employment of more than 20,000 workers annually.
Legacy
ChicagoMSDC is one of 19 affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), a nonprofit corporate membership organization that advances business opportunities for its certified small business enterprises and connects them to its corporate members. One of the country’s leading corporate membership organizations, NMSDC was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for small businesses of all sizes.
In 1967 and 1968, a chain of events erupted into civil and economic mayhem that shook Chicago at its very core. Rising above the turmoil, a group of corporate and community leaders were determined to cast a spotlight of hope on seemingly hopeless situations and created The Chicago Business Opportunity Day. The following year in 1969, the Chicago Business Opportunity Day was officially re-named CBOF, Chicago Business Opportunity Fair. The Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF) was a game-changer then and is still a game-changer in the new millennium. It remains as the signature event of ChicagoMSDC.
The success of Chicago’s historical commitment to small business spread nationally. In 1972 the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) was chartered to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for small businesses of all sizes. The ChicagoMSDC is affiliate of the NMSDC. One of the country’s leading corporate membership organizations, NMSDC advances business opportunities for certified small business enterprises and connects them to corporate members.