Ep. 10 You didn’t get MWBE certified just to put the certificate on your wall. You got it to win contracts, grow revenue, and change your business trajectory. But if you still feel stuck learning how to actually do business with the county — this live episode is your roadmap.

In this LIVE recording of Elevating Enterprise from the Aligned Entrepreneur Pod-A-Thon, hosts Jazzy T and RJ Williams sit down with Matthew Burrell, Supplier Diversity Manager and MWBE Officer for Monroe County.

Under his leadership, the county has certified 855 MWBE firms and set a concrete goal to award 21% of contract dollars to minority, women, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why relationship-building matters just as much as paperwork✅ Why you should focus on what you do best✅ How Apex Accelerator helps match your business with RFP's✅ Government contracts are more than just construction.Mental health providers, cleaning companies, consultants, tech, logistics, event services — the county needs you too.

If you’re an MWBE ready to go from “certified” to “contracted,” this episode gives you the blueprint.

📌 Resources mentioned:

Search “Monroe County MWBE” to apply or check status

Apex Accelerator for bid match + proposal support

Small Business Development Centers for startup help

Ep. 9 Bank on It: How M&T Bank Fuels Business Growth

Ep. 8 Business Operations with Albert Rivera, Paychex

Chapters:

0:00 What are Supplier Diversity Programs

6:15 Effective Strategies for Winning Government Contracts

8:14 Streamlining MWBE Certification and Ensuring Diversity goals

13:13 Building Government Contracting Relationships

21:19 Crafting Winning Proposals and Avoiding Common Mistakes

26:06 Strategic Insights for Business Growth

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