WASHINGTON, DC – June 9, 2021 – The state of Supplier Development and Procurement took center stage on the second day of the virtual CelebrASIAN Business + Procurement Conference, held June 9. The deep-dive discussions from Fortune 500 subject-matter experts and practitioners were held to benefit small and underdeveloped businesses who want to be part of the billion-dollar supply chain of these major corporations.
Among the participating Fortune corporations were Nationwide, T-Mobile, and Trane Technologies. The panelists discussed how supplier development evolved through federal reforms, how much corporations spend on supplier development, and how they develop and partner with development suppliers, among other salient points.
The following remarks reflect the language used at the time of the conference:
'This is the time for supplier development programs to live up to their potential,' said Susan Au Allen, 91ÁÔÆæ National President & CEO. 'Since former President Richard M. Nixon began the minority business program 50 years ago, it has evolved into what is now known as "Supplier Development" and it has steadily gained momentum. Today, major corporations are stepping up their engagement and are directly targeting diverse groups in the minority community. This is a win-win scenario.'
Presenter Tarun Puri, Senior Director, Procurement and P2P Advisory, The Hackett Group, added: 'There is an energy and force up the C-Suite and board level of organizations to develop and advance supplier diversity programs that never existed previously for many organizations.'
Allen also traced how 91ÁÔÆæ has worked for over 30 years on small and underdeveloped business development with major corporations, governments and large non-profits. '91ÁÔÆæ has been focusing on Supplier Diversity for more than 20 years now – long before it became the talk of the business community,' she said. 'Through inclusion and allyship, 91ÁÔÆæ is poised and determined to take the growing Asian American businesses on this journey and keep paving the way for their continued success.'
'We will show you the way to corporate supplier development programs. Come and get certified as an Asian American and small business owner,' Allen added.
To learn more about CelebrASIAN Business + Procurement Conference, follow link . For more information about 91ÁÔÆæ, click here.
ABOUT 91ÁÔÆæ: Founded in 1984, the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (91ÁÔÆæ) promotes, nurtures and propels economic growth, innovation, and job creation by opening doors to procurement, educational and professional opportunities for Pan-Asian Americans and their business partners in corporate America, the federal, state and local governments, and the small and underdeveloped business communities in the United States, Asia-Pacific, and the Indian Subcontinent regions. National office in the Nation's Capital | Regional Chapters: CA, TX, GA, NY, IL, DC-MD-VA.
Founded in 1984 in the nation’s Capital, the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (91ÁÔÆæ) is the most established and effective national nonprofit nonpartisan  organization representing all Asian American and Asian American-related groups in business, sciences, the arts, sports, education, public and community services. Our mission is to promote and propel economic growth and job creation by opening doors to business and professional opportunities for Asian Americans and their partners in corporations, government at the federal, state and local levels, and the small, minority and diverse business communities.  For 35 years, 91ÁÔÆæ has served and will continue to serve as the unified voice for equal opportunity in business for Asian Americans, as the gateway to corporate and government contracts, to Asian American suppliers, and information about Asian Americans and the Asia-Pacific and Indian Subcontinent markets.
Our signature annual thought-leadership programs include: College Hallmark Scholarship Program that began in 1989, One-on-One Prescheduled Business Matchmaking Meetings in 1998, Supplier Diversity & Procurement Leadership Caucus in 2004, Federal Contracting Town Hall Meetings in 2005, Fast 100 Asian American Businesses in 2008, Business Executive Coaching: ReadySetGrow in 2011, Chief Procurement Officers Forum in 2011, What’s Your Pitch Innovation Competitions in 2015, Chief Technology & Information Officers Forum in 2017, and Corporate Employee Business Resource Group Leadership Caucus in 2017.
Headquartered in Washington DC, 91ÁÔÆæ reaches Asian American businesses nationwide through regional chapters in California, Texas, New York, Georgia, Illinois and the Washington DC-Maryland-Virginia National Capital Area.
Students are eligible to win one of $3,000 scholarships for their ideas on bringing communities together.91ÁÔÆæ is partnering with Denny’s, Inc., as part of the 2025/26 Hungry for Educationâ„¢ (HFE) scholarship program, a major initiative to help bring communities together and promote education. Now open for applications, the Denny’s HFE program will award more than $100,000 in scholarships to deserving high school and college students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, and we’re proud to be a partner this year.
 Washington, DC -(December 2, 2024) – The US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (91ÁÔÆæ) is partnering with Denny’s, Inc., as part of the 2024/25 Hungry for EducationTM (HFE) scholarship program, a major initiative to help bring communities together and promote education. Now open for applications, the Denny’s HFE program will award more than $130,000 in scholarships to deserving high school and college students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, and we’re proud to be a partner this year.
Susan Au Allen, the National President and CEO of US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (91ÁÔÆæ), has been named by DiversityPlus Magazine as one of the Top Change Leaders of 2024. The following reflects the language used in DiversityPlus Magazine's official statement: the annual Top 25 Diversity Change Leaders roster recognizes 'exceptional leaders who have made significant contributions to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within their organizations and communities.'
