NJAWBO Corporate Supplier Diversity Mentoring Initiative

Goal:

To mentor NJAWBO member women business owners in New Jersey through group meetings and individually. 

Commitments:
·         There is a twelve-sixteen month commitment required of both the corporations and the WBOs. 
·         Physical Meetings - Bi-monthly. Morning is training session from 8:30-9:00 am to Noon. Individual Corporation holds their session for mentees (WBOs). After training, a light networking lunch attended by class and possibly host company’s sourcing people are joined by the rest of the Initiative’s mentoring corporations. Presentations by the host corporation and their mentees to the group. Success stories shared by all. Breakup by 4:00 pm.·         Months when there is no physical meeting there should be at least one contact with each mentee by her mentor. Mentors do not need to be the corporate representative to the Initiative.

·         Planning - 2 physical Planning Meetings and 2 conference calls prior to the Kick-off meeting in April. NJAWBO and corporations will meet to set-up the actual program, identify corporate and NJAWBO goals and develop the actions/tools to meet them. Convenient meeting places will be determined. Discussion to include: topics for the training sessions, identifying which topic will be presented by each corporation and timing.

·         The only individual commitment is to mentor. There is no commitment to do business with the individual.

·        First year investment for the corporation to participate is $1,000. 

Program Details:

·         Each corporation will choose the type of business owner they prefer to mentor, i.e., industry, stage in development or other group designated criteria.

·         There will be only one WBO from each industry to allow for free exchanges in the training sessions and meetings. However, there may be more than one corporation from a given industry.

Benefits:

• Each corporation becomes a NJAWBO Corporate Supplier Diversity Mentoring Partner
• Each corporation is listed as such in NJAWBO’s bi-monthly newsletter that goes out to 1600 people in hard copy
• Each corporation is included as a Corporate Supplier Diversity Mentoring Partner on the NJAWBO website within the Corporate Sponsor section
• Each corporation receives a 50% discount on the corporate registration for the NJAWBO Procurement Event & Expo, February 11, 2009.
• Each corporation will be allowed to participate in NJAWBO’s Corporate Advisory Council meetings.