NaVOBA

Also this week, President Matthew Pavelek and VP of Corporate Relations Laxmi (Mimi) Lohm are attending the 2024 National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC) Unity Week event in Washington, D.C. NaVOBA President Matthew Pavelek sat on a panel with our NBIC partners at National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), WBENC, Disability:IN, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), USPAACC, US BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), and WEConnect International to discuss continuing the growth and success for diverse communities in the United States and around the globe.

This week Adam McCarty, Manager of Veteran Relations & Operations, is at the Veterans In Business (VIB) Network National Conference in San Diego. This conference is designed to connect the Veteran business community to Corporations, Government Agencies, and Prime Contractors for contracting opportunities. Come see Adam at the NaVOBA booth at the Expo tomorrow if you are here!

Today, we pay tribute to the courageous men and women who have served in our Armed Forces. Veterans Day is a time to recognize the immense sacrifices made to protect the freedoms and values we hold dear. Each veteran embodies a story of bravery, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to this great nation. We are eternally grateful for your service and the selfless acts that define your journey. You are the heart of our nation's history, and we honor you today and every day.

Announcing NaVOBA's Marching Forward Mondays, Operation Matchmaker for Q4! 📅 Monday, December 9, 2024 📍 Virtual ⏰ Networking Rooms: 1:30 PM EST and Breakout Meetings: 2-5PM EST Corporate Allies®: add any and all NAICS Codes relevant to projects to increase matching opportunities! Veteran's Business Enterprises®: Come connect with Corporate America! *Non-certified suppliers are able to participate after the priority deadline has closed. Register at www.navoba.org/matchmaker

Join us Monday for NaVOBA's upcoming Marching Forward Mondays: Corporate Engagement Series Event with Dollar General's Senior Director of Supplier Diversity, Antoine Hinton, MBA! 📅 Date: Monday, October 28th, 2024 📍 Location: Virtual via Zoom ⏰ Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm (EST) This is an outstanding opportunity to connect with a NaVOBA Corporate Ally® representative, as they provide an overview to our Certified Veteran's Business Enterprises®(VBEs) and Service-Disabled Veteran's Business Enterprises® (SDVBEs) about consumer insights, supplier diversity initiatives, the pre-qualification process, meeting preparation, and sourcing opportunities. Don't miss out! Register here: www.navoba.org/mfm-ce

We celebrated the 2024 Veteran's Business Enterprise® of the Year Awards Ceremony this week in conjunction with the 2024 National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Conference: Defining New Norms. A special thank you to Cuts Steakhouse for sponsoring and hosting the dinner. Thank you to our sponsors from Accenture, Hilton, and Shell! Your continued support enables NaVOBA to honor these outstanding Veteran's Business Enterprises. Before announcing the guests of honor, we had the privilege of surprising Don McKneely, CEO and Chairman of Minority Business News USA (MBN USA), with the 2024 Veteran's Business Champion Award. Congratulations to Demond Crump, CEO of Reign Premium Sanitary Napkins and Paden Sickles, MBA, PMP, CSD, Founder & CEO of SickFit for being awarded the 2024 Minority Veteran's Enterprises® We Love! Please join us in celebrating Robert Swain, CEO of Swain Enterprises as the 2024 Minority Veteran's Business Enterprise of the Year!

NaVOBA’s 2024 Minority Veteran’s Business Enterprise of the Year! Congratulations Swain Enterprises

I had the pleasure of attending the NaVOBA and National Veteran Institute For Procurement Conference this week, where I had the opportunity to sign copies of Forge Ahead (The Book) and meet so many inspiring business #leaders and #veteran #entrepreneurs. 📖 This event was a fantastic space for collaboration, with engaging #roundtables, panel discussions, and the presentation of the "Best Corporations for Veteran’s Business Enterprises" awards. It’s always inspiring to see what can happen when #veterans and #corporate allies come together. A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by the book signing and made this experience so special! Looking forward to staying connected with all the incredible individuals and #businesses I met along the way. #ForgeAhead #NaVOBA #VIPConference #VeteranBusiness #BookSigning #BusinessLeadership

We were thrilled to have Forge Ahead featured at this week’s NaVOBA and National Veteran Institute For Procurement Conference at the Bolger Center in Potomac, MD, where our author Frank Vitale, MBA, CSM® signed some copies. 📖 The event brought together veteran entrepreneurs and corporate allies for two days of roundtables, panel discussions, and networking. It was an honor to connect with so many change-makers, and we’re grateful for the support shown during the book signing. Congratulations to all the businesses recognized with the "Best Corporations for Veteran’s Business Enterprises" awards! Events like these remind us of the power of community and the impact of veteran-owned businesses. #ForgeAhead #VeteranBusiness #NaVOBA #VIPConference #BusinessLeadership #Networking

Grateful and honored to have Walmart recognized by NaVOBA as one of the Best Corporations for Veteran’s Business Enterprise (BCVBE). Great to celebrate alongside one of our veteran-owned businesses Fire Department Coffee. Thank you Luke for joining us and making a difference in communities across the country. Special thanks to all the hard work by colleagues Sherry-Lee Singh and Nilka Garcia.