DIVERSITY & ECONOMIC INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN
Growing a Greater Greenville 550 South Main St., Suite 550 | Greenville, SC 29601 greenvillechamber.org | (864) 242-1050 OUR VISION. A globally competitive Upstate economy where businesses succeed, and people prosper. OUR MISSION. To lead, convene, and mobilize the business community to drive regional economic growth OUR VALUES. Achieve together, Do the right thing, Expect Excellence, Inspire Positivity, Value Differences. A DIVERSE GROUP OF DRIVEN INDIVIDUALS. The Chamber is a not-for-profit 501c(6) operating in the Upstate with business resources used by you, our Investors. Through your engagement and investment dollars, you play an important role in helping our entire region thrive and prosper — and in turn, we work as a community on your behalf, helping elevate your business and accelerate your future.
Growing a Greater Greenville 550 South Main St., Suite 550 | Greenville, SC 29601 greenvillechamber.org | (864) 242-1050 DIVERSITY & ECONOMIC INCLUSION INCREASE CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY AROUND INNOVATION IN PROCUREMENT AND DIVERSITY SUPPLIER STRATEGIES THAT FOSTER ECONOMIC INCLUSION. 1 Create appropriatelyand market a Supplier Diversity Certificate program. Create a Supplier Diversity program that Investors can use as they encourage their customers to be more diverse. Drive organizations.fordiversitydevelopingMBE’sopportunitiesprocurementforandWBE’sbyasupplierpledgebusinessesand Build out robust data and information on diverse companies and on the health of the overall environment.
Growing a Greater Greenville 550 South Main St., Suite 550 | Greenville, SC 29601 greenvillechamber.org | (864) 242-1050 DIVERSITY & ECONOMIC INCLUSION PROMOTE, DEVELOP, AND STRENGTHEN THE MINORITY BUSINESS ACCELERATOR INITIATIVE: 2 INCREASE AND STRENGTHEN MINORITY BUSINESS ACCELERATOR (“MBA”) PIPELINE. • Ensure all minority groups are included (inclusive of ethnic owned, women-owned and LGBTQ owned businesses). • Enhance marketing of the program through collaboration with other entrepreneurial ecosystem providers (Next, Venture South, Furman/Clemson etc.) • Promote the MBA initiative to all MBE/WBE constituents DEVELOP ACTIONABLE AREAS to enable the MBA cohort to connect after graduation with other programs that are established (GS Entrepreneur, EY Entrepreneurial Program, and others) can take them to the next level IDENTIFY CONNECTIVITY INTO THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS that can help to drive access to capital for growth. CONNECT MBA ALUM BUSINESSES to the Greater Greenville corporate community and ensure they can secure a Supplier Diversity Certificate
Growing a Greater Greenville 550 South Main St., Suite 550 | Greenville, SC 29601 greenvillechamber.org | (864) 242-1050 DIVERSITY & ECONOMIC INCLUSION DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO SERVE EMERGING BUSINESS COMMUNITIES MORE EFFECTIVELY: 3 Reconvene the Greenville Chamber Hispanic Business Council Seek SCpartnershipstrategicwithHispanicChamber Expand partnershipstrategicwith Upstate LGBTQ+ Chamber Track composition of past and future MBA cohorts Measure the composition of the Greenville Chamber staff, its Board of Directors, related committees and initiatives and ensure they reflect the diversity of the Greater Greenville community DIVERSITY & ECONOMIC INCLUSION
Growing a Greater Greenville 550 South Main St., Suite 550 | Greenville, SC 29601 greenvillechamber.org | (864) 242-1050 DIVERSITY & ECONOMIC INCLUSION Develop a DEI Toolkit to help businesses develop their own strategies. Develop a Dashboard to assist businesses in assessing their internal metrics. Expand DEI conversation, including everyone, and excluding no one. Communicate clearly with Investors and the community about the benefits of DEI and how it benefits business and economic growth. Attract a more diverse audience to the Chamber’s Annual DEI Summit. Expand DEI /CDO Roundtable Engagement. Provide DEI education to businesses as an Investor benefit: • Deliver programming developed by DEI subject matter experts. • Share DEI stories, case studies, and best practices exhibited by area businesses. DELIVER VALUABLE DEI THOUGHT AND PROGRAMMATIC LEADERSHIP TO GREATER GREENVILLE’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 4
Growing a Greater Greenville 550 South Main St., Suite 550 | Greenville, SC 29601 greenvillechamber.org | (864) 242-1050 DIVERSITY & ECONOMIC INCLUSION LEAD AND ENGAGE IN INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISPARITIES AND INEQUITIES: 5 Continue local and state advocacy for initiatives that promote DEI initiatives aligned with talent and economic development and oppose measures that could stifle development.said Expand DEI conversation beyond black and white; be inclusive of ethnicity, gender and orientation.sexual Promote DEI as a moral AND imperative.business Continue to engage and invest in the Racial EconomicEquityMobilityCommission(“REEM”). Identify ways to engage, support and promote DEI to area businesses of all sizes. Engage all levels of the business community in the discussion. “We have a communitywonderful with opportunities,amenitiesworld-classand but we ourbornsystemsworld-classneedtoguaranteeaccessforthosechildreninpovertyincommunity.” - STACEY DIRECTORREEMGVLMILLS,EXECUTIVE
Growing a Greater Greenville 550 South Main St., Suite 550 | Greenville, SC 29601 greenvillechamber.org | (864) 242-1050 DIVERSITY & ECONOMIC INCLUSION HIRE AN INDIVIDUAL to implement the Chamber’s DEI strategic plan across the organization and into all programs, communications, and events. INCREASE RESOURCES to expand impact of the Chamber’s DEI efforts. TRACK, MEASURE, AND REPORT diversity and inclusivity of Chamber staff, volunteer leadership, partnerships, and programs/events. SEEK DEI PARTNERSHIPS with area chambers and economic development organizations. IDENTIFY KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES and make implementation of DEI strategic plan a component of CEO’s annual evaluation and bonus calculation. ENGAGE COMMUNITY CORPORATE PARTNERS and minority constituents when discussing DEI.
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USE BOARD MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT CHAMBER PROGRAMS and initiatives and how they tie to the DEI mission. DEVELOP AND COMMUNICATE the Chamber’s own DEI commitment statement. REFRAME THE THINKING WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION that DEI is its own workstream and have all facets of the organization tie their performance to DEI progression. ALL CHAMBER INITIATIVES REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE GREATER GREENVILLE COMMUNITY.
ENSURE
FOCUS EFFORTS ON MOVING FROM THOUGHT TO ACTION, utilizing some of the initiatives in the other pillars (Diversity Supplier Certificate, Supplier Database, Diversity Dashboard, REEM Strategies). INCLUDE DEI STRATEGIC PLAN in new board member orientation.
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