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Columbia University Salutes The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce on Harlem Week 2012 Columbia and City Expand Program for Minority, Women and Locally Based Contractors
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atherine Jallim Jallim has has owned owned her her own own construction construction business business for for 11 11 years years atherine and thought thought she she knew knew everything everything there there was was to to know. know. Then Then she she was was acacand cepted into into Columbia Columbia University’s University’s two-year two-year construction construction mentorship mentorship cepted program, where where she she learned learned even even more. more. program, has “helped “helped my my company company improve improve in in marketing, marketing, networking, networking, its its safety safety ItIt has program,” she she said. said. “I “I have have increased increased my my bonding bonding capacity capacity since since learning learning how how program,” to do do itit here, here, and and II have have received received six six contracts contracts since since joining joining the the program.” program.” to Columbia has has aa rigorous rigorous commitment commitment to to minority, minority, women women and and local local Columbia (MWL) business business enterprises enterprises and and supports supports this this commitment commitment through through aa variety variety (MWL) of initiatives. initiatives. The The construction construction mentorship mentorship program program was was formed formed in in conjuncconjuncof tion with with New New York York City’s City’s Department Department of of Small Small Business Business Services Services (SBS) (SBS) in in tion January 2008. 2008. Since Since then, then, professionals professionals from from 53 53 firms firms have have graduated graduated and and January garnered more more than than $60 $60 million million in in construction construction trades trades work work with with the the city city garnered and Columbia. Columbia. and “From the the beginning, beginning, our our vision vision was was to to create create aa mentorship mentorship program program that that “From would benefit benefit MWL MWL firms firms in in the the construction construction trades trades industry industry and and help help idenidenwould tify firms firms that that might might be be able able to to work work with with Columbia Columbia or or other other large large instituinstitutify tional firms,” firms,” said said Joe Joe Ienuso, Ienuso, executive executive vice vice president president of of Columbia Columbia University University tional Facilities. “We “We have have been been successful successful in in both both regards.” regards.” Facilities. The two-year two-year mentorship mentorship program program includes includes academic academic work work in in such such toptopThe ics as as marketing marketing and and communications, communications, disputes disputes and and negotiations, negotiations, insurance insurance ics and bonds, bonds, as as well well as as project project planning planning and and sustainability. sustainability. Professionals Professionals in in the the and
“The city city has has made made tremendous tremendous progress progress inin expanding expanding the the opportunities opportunities “The available to to minority minority and and women women business business owners owners under under available Mayor Bloomberg’s Bloomberg’s leadership, leadership, but but there there isis still still more more to to do,” do,” said said Mayor Rob Walsh, Walsh, commissioner commissioner ofof the the city’s city’s Department Department ofof Small Small Business Business Rob Services.“With “With partners partners like like Columbia, Columbia, we we will will continue continue to to help help Services. minorityand women-owned businesses succeed.” minority- and women-owned businesses succeed.” program work work on on aa case case study study and and are are assigned assigned mentors mentors from from big big construcconstrucprogram tion firms firms to to help help them them learn learn the the challenges challenges of of bidding bidding on on large-scale large-scale projprojtion ects. When When they they complete complete the the program, program, participants participants receive receive aa certificate certificate from from ects. Columbia’s School School of of Continuing Continuing Education. Education. Columbia’s “As aa small small company company we we learned learned how how to to retain retain good good employees, employees, to to promote promote “As our business, business, and and demonstrate demonstrate credibility credibility as as aa company,” company,” said said Yam Yam Gurung, Gurung, of of our Harlem-based J&Y J&Y Electric Electric and and Intercom Intercom Co. Co. Inc., Inc., who who isis halfway halfway through through Harlem-based the program. program. “Since “Since the the market market isis so so competitive, competitive, we we have have to to constantly constantly imimthe prove our our skills skills to to gain gain aa competitive competitive advantage.” advantage.” prove Last year, year, the the city city expanded expanded its its minorityminority- and and women-owned women-owned business business efforts, efforts, Last which had had previously previously been been confined confined to to the the public public sector, sector, to to include include opportuniopportuniwhich ties with with private private companies companies and and organizations. organizations. Columbia Columbia isis one one of of 11 11 founding founding ties partners in in the the Corporate Corporate Alliance Alliance Program, Program, aa public-private public-private partnership partnership that that partners aims to to connect connect MWL MWL participants participants to to opportunities opportunities with with corporate corporate partners. partners. aims
Thewinners winnersofofthe theYear Year11Case CaseStudy StudyCompetition, Competition,ananintegral integralpart partofofthe theconstruction constructionmentorship mentorshipprogram, program,hold holdtheir theirawards. awards. From Fromleft: left:Yam Yam The Gurung,J&Y J&YElectric Electricand andIntercom IntercomCompany CompanyInc.; Inc.;David DavidMuñoz Muñoz(mentor), (mentor),Skanska SkanskaUSA USABuilding BuildingInc.; Inc.;Kimberlee KimberleeKelley, Kelley,Artisan ArtisanConstruction; Construction; Gurung, JorgeBarbosa, Barbosa,U.U.Arias AriasCorp. Corp. Jorge
“The city city has has made made tremendous tremendous progress progress in in expanding expanding the the opportunities opportunities availavail“The able to to minority minority and and women women business business owners owners under under Mayor Mayor Bloomberg’s Bloomberg’s leaderleaderable ship, but but there there isis still still more more to to do,” do,” said said Rob Rob Walsh, Walsh, commissioner commissioner of of the the city’s city’s ship, Department of of Small Small Business Business Services. Services. “With “With partners partners like like Columbia, Columbia, we we will will Department continue to to help help minorityminority- and and women-owned women-owned businesses businesses succeed.” succeed.” continue The University’s University’s goal goal isis to to spend spend at at least least 35 35 percent percent of of all all construction construction The dollars with with MWL MWL firms firms and and have have at at least least 40 40 percent percent of of its its construction construction laladollars bor force force made made up up of of women, women, minorities minorities and and local local workers. workers. “We “We have have some some bor of the the most most aggressive aggressive goals goals around,” around,” said said La-Verna La-Verna Fountain, Fountain, vice vice president president of for Construction Construction Business Business Services Services and and Communications. Communications. “It “It would would be be imimfor possible to to achieve achieve them them without without the the active active support support of of our our MWL MWL Advisory Advisory possible Council made made up up of of local local industry industry experts experts like like the the Greater Greater Harlem Harlem ChamChamCouncil ber of of Commerce, Commerce, the the Harlem Harlem Business Business Alliance Alliance and and the the New New York York Women’s Women’s ber Chamber of of Commerce.” Commerce.” Chamber Columbia University University has has received received aa number number of of accolades accolades recently recently for for its its Columbia groundbreaking work. work. In In May, May, the the facilities facilities department department was was recognized recognized for for groundbreaking outstanding advocacy advocacy on on behalf behalf of of the the MinorityMinority- and and Women-Owned Women-Owned BusiBusioutstanding ness Enterprise Enterprise Community. Community. Fountain Fountain herself herself received received the the MinorityMinority- and and ness Women-Owned Business Business Enterprise Enterprise Advocate Advocate of of the the Year Year Award Award in in June. June. And And Women-Owned Tanya Pope, Pope, executive executive director director of of Construction Construction Business Business Services, Services, was was named named Tanya an Outstanding Outstanding Woman Woman by by the the National National Association Association of of Professional Professional Women Women an in Construction. Construction. in In addition addition to to the the construction construction certificate/mentorship certificate/mentorship program, program, the the EuEuIn gene Lang Lang Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship Center Center at at Columbia Columbia Business Business School School continues continues gene to offer offer aa two-year two-year program program providing providing specialized specialized assistance assistance to to aa wide wide range range to of MWL MWL firms. firms. The The University University also also isis expanding expanding its its role role as as the the host host of of the the of first and and only only Small Small Business Business Development Development Center Center (SBDC) (SBDC) serving serving Harlem Harlem first and Upper Upper Manhattan, Manhattan, which which will will provide provide technical technical assistance, assistance, training training and and and support to to entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, small small businesses businesses and and nonprofit nonprofit organizations organizations in in the the support local community. community. local
Visit http://news.columbia.edu/mwl http://news.columbia.edu/mwl to to learn learn Visit more about about Columbia Columbia University’s University’s MWL MWL initiatives. initiatives. more