Matthew Sekol is the Global ESG and Sustainability Advisor at Microsoft. Matthew has over 20 years of experience in storytelling, pioneering disruptive strategies, and influencing transformation by unpacking and clarifying organizational risks and opportunities to senior stakeholders. In addition to serving as an advisor at Microsoft, Matthew is an ESG speaker and writer who has co-authored whitepapers on ESG data rating agencies and data aggregation as well as financial services and biodiversity. He is also the creator of The ESG Advocate newsletter. In recognition of Matthew’s work, Onalytica has included him among their Who’s Who in ESG in 2023. Matthew holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Penn State University.

Matthew joins us today to discuss Microsoft’s deep commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance principles and sustainability. He details the company’s strategies for reducing carbon emissions and achieving a net-zero water footprint and highlights how Microsoft’s technology—such as real-time transcription and translation—makes digital content accessible to diverse communities. Matthew also explains how Microsoft ensures Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within its workforce and supplier ecosystem and offers advice on how small companies can build durable ESG programs in their operations and collaborations

“I hope that, like Microsoft, more bigger companies will do engagement over divestment; that means putting together things like training programs and transparency to enable our suppliers to meet goals.” – Matthew Sekol

This week on Breaking Barriers:

• Matthew’s background and his journey toward ESG

Resources Mentioned:

• Water.org

Connect with Matthew Sekol:

• The ESG Advocate

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

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LaMecia Butler is the Program Manager for Meta’s Supplier Diversity. As Program Manager, LaMecia shapes the engagement between Facebook’s supplier diversity team and key stakeholders, which include internal buyers, management, media, diverse suppliers, and industry partners. LaMecia is also the Principal of GEM Legacy Management LLC, a firm that consults with organizations to identify the best strategies for maximum and lasting impacts on communities and individuals. LaMecia received her MBA from Rice University and her BA in Communications – Public Relations from The University of Texas at San Antonio.

LaMecia joins us today to discuss Meta’s innovative supplier diversity practice. She highlights the impact of intentionality and engagement on supplier diversity. She describes her background, shares why she decided to join Meta after a career in public relations, and illustrates the role of data in storytelling. She describes the internal tools Meta has built and how they’ve embedded systems to secure and future-proof the sustainability of diverse suppliers. LaMecia also underscores the important role of storytelling in supplier diversity.

“At Meta, we bring the world together. We ensure we have the right diverse supplier search tools so people can get involved in finding, recommending—and connecting us to—diverse suppliers.” – LaMecia Butler

This week on Breaking Barriers:

• LaMecia’s background, work in non-profit, and career path from PR to supplier diversity

Connect with LaMecia Butler:

• Meta Supplier Diversity

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

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Vicky Brown is the President and CEO of Idomeneo Enterprises, a strategic business process outsourcing firm that specializes in Human Resources. Vicky’s HR expertise and leadership experience encompass industries such as technology, entertainment, and advertising. In addition to her role as CEO of Idomeneo, Vicky is an accomplished coach who helps new entrepreneurs on their journey toward establishing and running a successful business. She is a recipient of the Senior Professional in Human Resources certification by the Human Resources Management Certification Institute and the Senior Certified Professional designation by the Society for Human Resources Management and holds a California Teaching Credential from the University of Southern California. Vicky is the author of Sing With Your Opera Voice, My Journey From Solopreneur to Entrepreneur.

Vicky joins us today to discuss recruiting and firing properly as a small business. She provides key tips on streamlining your hiring and firing process to ensure seamless transitions, quality hires, and amicable parting. She describes her former life as an HR professional by day and a lyric soprano by night. Vicky also highlights the importance of preparation when interviewing a job candidate, explains why recruitment is marketing, and underscores how diversity can impact an organization’s growth and success.

“Recruiting is a marketing experience, the same way you’re recruiting potential clients to work with you, you’re recruiting potential candidates to your organization: you want them to be invested in your vision.” – Vicky Brown

This week on Breaking Barriers:

• Vicky’s background and her experience as an opera singer, lyric soprano, and HR professional

Connect with Vicky Brown:

• Idomeneo Enterprises

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

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Jon Suber is the Supplier Diversity Manager at Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored private bank providing mortgage capital to lenders to make homeownership possible for millions of families and individuals. Jon has a BSBA in Marketing from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA in Supply Chain Management from Howard University. Before working in his current role Jon worked for international corporations that include Proctor & Gamble and Unilever. He has extensive experience in supply planning, contract manufacturing, logistics, and project management. 

In today’s episode, Jon joins us to discuss the Supplier Inclusion program with Freddie Mac, one of the biggest buyers of mortgages in the U.S. He discusses how the company works to promote opportunities to diverse suppliers in their pipeline system, how they outreach via national conferences and local events for their 30 Max Supplier diversity program, and how they spread the word on the types of opportunity available at Freddie Mac. Jon explains the Supplier Academy program launched by the company in 2016 and what it provides in terms of education on the company and also the opportunity for diverse suppliers to present their capabilities. He also shares his journey into Supplier Diversity, where he was first introduced to the practice while interning in his first summer of business school and seeded in him a passion for supplier diversity, he would fully realize 11 years later with Freddie Mac.

“You have to overcome the unconscious bias of using a diverse supplier versus the Big Four. Because the Big Four is a brand name. You know them. You trust them. They’ve done work but the reality is -who do you think the diverse supplier is? It’s not necessarily a small Mom & Pop operation.” – Jon Suber

This week on Breaking Barriers:

• The 3 pillars of the Freddie Macs Supplier Inclusion program

Resource Mentioned:

• Freddie Mac’s Supplier Diversity Application

Connect with Jon Suber:

• Freddie Mac’s Website

Connect with Hire Ground:

• Hire Ground’s Website

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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“We know that women are making tremendous strides, but they’re still fighting for opportunities for success in the workplace and as entrepreneurs.” – Cloe Guidry-Reed

March has arrived and Spring is in the air! March may be the month of rebirth and regrowth, but it is also the month dedicated to honoring women in business. March 8th was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating women’s social, economic, and political achievements. March is also Women’s History Month, a month holding some important milestones for women: Title IX, prohibiting sex discrimination in all federally funded education programs, was passed by the Senate on March 1st, 1972. The Senate passed the Equal Rights Amendment on March 22nd of the same year. In March, the first major suffragist ‘march’ took over Washington DC on March 3rd, 1913. It is the month of women for a good reason.

In today’s episode, we discuss some of the triumphs and struggles of women in business today. We dissect the reasons women still may have to fight for opportunities to progress while others make tremendous strides in their field. We reveal the different approaches men and women have to pay raises where men are more likely to demand a pay raise while women wait to be recognized. We also look at mentorship, team-building opportunities, and the discussions we can engage in to make positive changes for a fair playing field for women in 21st Century business.

This week on Breaking Barriers:

• How women’s entrepreneurial experience vs. corporate America experience differs

Connect with Hire Ground:

• Hire Ground’s Website

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

“Supplier diversity for me from a corporate standpoint isn’t so much a definition or a case study as it is a program where we’re actively helping reduce barrier of entry to small and diverse businesses into corporate America” – Adam Moore

Do you think you understand and practice supplier diversity and inclusion? The Harvard Business Review describes a diverse supplier as “a business that is at least 51% owned and operated by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved group.” Bearing that in mind, onboarding diverse suppliers to your supply chain is far more than “the right thing to do.” Supplier inclusion best practices can help your company build a more agile, innovative, and profitable supply chain.

In today’s episode of Breaking Barriers, Building a Hire Ground, hosts Cloe Guidry-Reed and Adam Moore discuss supplier diversity and inclusion, and what it means for the next generation of entrepreneurs. They break down the categories of diverse suppliers and discuss what needs to be done to give new-majority-owned companies greater access to opportunities in enterprise supply chains.

Cloe and Adam also look at the history of supplier inclusion, starting with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s to its evolution into an economic development initiative. In addition, the podcast hosts talk about the differing responsibilities small businesses have compared to large corporations, and how those smaller businesses can mitigate their own risks when they are brought into a larger organization.

This week on Breaking Barriers, Building a Hire Ground:

• What supplier diversity and inclusion means in business today

Connect with Hire Ground:

• Hire Ground’s Website

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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“We realize that you can be everything to everybody. There is absolutely no way that we can all be good at everything, and we’re looking for specialists to come in.” – Adam Moore

Do you know why you did not get that call back? There are many topics and attitudes we believe are good to share during sales meetings, because we think it adds value. However, most corporations know what they specifically want, and if you send the wrong message, they will find someone else who is more aligned with their needs. It’s time to prepare, make a plan, and specialize. 

In today’s episode, we share our top 5 things to avoid when connecting with corporates. We talk about how being unprepared for meetings is much more obvious than you think. We also talk about why it’s better to make a plan when going to tradeshows instead of seeing how things go. We emphasize the importance of being a keen listener and why promising everything doesn’t always look as impressive as you think.

This week on Breaking Barriers, Building a Hire Ground:

• The importance of research before a corporate meeting

Connect with Hire Ground:

• Hire Ground’s Website

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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“A succession plan is critical for small, medium, and diverse businesses—it is how your business lives beyond you.” – Adam Moore

A business succession plan is something not commonly discussed among small and diverse businesses. After all, it’s especially difficult for any founder—especially those who think of their business as their child—to think of themselves as replaceable. However, in a rapidly changing, post-COVID market, succession planning has become more important than ever—having plans for leadership transitions is vital to maintaining the long-term health of any organization.

In this episode, we discuss what succession planning is, why it’s important for your businesses, and how it’s different from a business continuity plan. We share examples of successful companies with succession plans. We outline the key elements every succession plan needs and describe why a time element is crucial. We also highlight how a succession plan can help a business focus on mentorship, explain the importance of internal training and leadership development, and underscore the characteristics any business owner or leader should look for in their replacement.

This week on Breaking Barriers:

• What a succession plan is and how it’s different from a continuity plan

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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“A business continuity plan sounds scary, but it allows you to do much more than just run a business—you have to come out of being the ‘Chief Everything Officer’ and truly become the CEO.” – Adam Moore

An emergency is bound to happen in any organization, whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or a small, diverse business. For any business, preparation is better than cure. That’s where the business continuity plan comes in; it’s a wonderful document that helps you and your people navigate times of uncertainty. But did you know that a continuity plan goes far beyond just helping an organization continue its operations amid a crisis?

In this episode, we discuss the “why” and the “how” of creating business continuity plans for small- to medium-sized businesses. We outline the key elements of building a continuity plan. We explore how business continuity plans can help transform business owners into excellent leaders. We explain what makes the US Army one of the most successful organizations in the world. We also highlight how a continuity plan can help business owners sell their businesses and underscore how continuity plans can help leaders communicate clearly amid disasters and crises.

This week on Breaking Barriers:

• The role of business continuity in small- and medium-sized business

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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“Through business excellence, we can transform communities that have had historically high rates of poverty into predictable wealth.” – Louis Garcia

This week on Breaking Barriers:

• What inspired Louis’s entrepreneurial desire

Connect with Louis Garcia:

• Media Garcia

This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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