HOW DBE MENTORSHIP POSITIVELY IMPACTS Mentors, Firms & Protégés
JULIE ANN HOWLETT
32 Engineering Georgia
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Mentor - protégé relationships between large engineering firms and disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) firms represent a unique opportunity for all involved. GDOT defines a DBE firm as a “for profit small business where socially and economically disadvantaged individuals own at least 51% interest and also control management and daily business operations,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Owners can be women, African Americans, Hispanic, Native Americans, Asian Pacific, or Subcontinent Asian Americans, and they need to apply for DBE certification from the state to qualify. Additional requirements must be met for certification, including “a personal net worth that does not exceed $1.32 million” and other financial criteria. The DBE Program exists so that these firms have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in DOT-assisted contracts. This article gathers four different perspectives to offer insights on how DBE mentorship is not only a benefit for the DBE firm but also benefits the mentor firm and others. N
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