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3/24/2025 0 Comments

Navigating Supplier Diversity in an Anti-DEI Environment: Why This Conversation Can’t Wait

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Supplier diversity is at a crossroads.
Once embraced as a vital part of corporate DEI strategies, supplier diversity programs are now facing heightened scrutiny—from legal challenges and political pushback to increasing concerns about reputational risk. In today’s climate, leaders in procurement, sourcing, and DEI must rethink how these programs are positioned, protected, and ultimately sustained.

That’s why Scaleup is hosting an urgent and timely virtual roundtable:
🧭 Navigating Supplier Diversity in an Anti-DEI Environment
📅 Wednesday, March 26, 2025
🕛 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
🔗 Register Now

​This roundtable is designed for procurement and supplier diversity professionals who are looking for real strategies, not just talking points—especially as external pressures mount and internal support gets harder to secure.

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3/12/2025 0 Comments

Procurement Optimization: How Enterprises Can Streamline Supplier Discovery

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For enterprises, procurement is a critical function that directly impacts cost efficiency, supply chain resilience, and innovation. However, traditional supplier discovery processes are often slow, inefficient, and biased toward established vendors, leaving high-potential SMBs without access to enterprise contracts.

According to the KPMG 2023 Global Procurement Survey, 54% of procurement leaders identify limited data and insights as a top internal challenge, while 50% point to outdated systems.

The Biggest Challenges in Procurement Today
  1. Manual & Time-Intensive Processes: Enterprises spend an average of 8 to 12 months vetting new suppliers. Manual assessments lead to inconsistent supplier selection.
  2. Lack of Supplier Diversity: A significant portion of enterprise procurement budgets go to a small pool of large, incumbent suppliers. Only a small percentage of enterprise procurement dollars go to small and diverse-owned businesses.
  3. Supply Chain Risks & Limited Transparency: Global supply chain disruptions have highlighted vulnerabilities in supplier networks. Limited visibility into supplier practices can lead to compliance and ethical issues.

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3/4/2025 0 Comments

Closing the Wealth Gap Through Entrepreneurship: A Playbook for Action

At Scaleup, we believe the racial wealth gap in America isn’t just a social injustice; it’s an enormous untapped economic opportunity. ​
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Cliff Goins IV, Scaleup co-founder and author of Minding the Wealth Gap
A staggering $15 trillion divide separates Black and white households, a consequence of 400 years of compounding inequality. 

But within this challenge lies a powerful solution: entrepreneurship. By fostering and supporting Black-owned businesses, we can drive economic growth, create jobs, and build a more equitable future for everyone. 

​One of our co-founders, Cliff Goins IV, wrote
Minding the Wealth Gap to dive deep on the matter.


Let’s explore four ways entrepreneurship can be a catalyst for closing the wealth gap.​

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3/3/2025 0 Comments

The Champion Effect: How Executive Advisors Drive SMB Success

Scaling a business requires more than just funding and market access, it demands strategic guidance, industry expertise, and connections. This is where Scaleup Champions come in. These experienced executives serve as advisors, helping SMBs navigate growth challenges and accelerate their path to enterprise success.

According to a report by the Wadhwani Foundation, a well-executed mentoring program can yield multiple benefits for SMEs, including enhanced skills, innovation, leadership development, and improved retention.

How Champions Help SMBs Scale
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1. Strategic Mentorship
Champions provide guidance on cost management and financial efficiency, market expansion strategies, digital transformation and technology adoption, and more. 

"Having access to seasoned executives gives growing businesses a roadmap to follow," says Michael Useem, professor at the Wharton School of Business. "Advisors help CEOs anticipate challenges before they arise."

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2/24/2025 0 Comments

The Business Case for Supplier Diversity: Why Enterprises Should Invest in Scalable SMBs

Supplier diversity is increasingly recognized as a strategic business imperative. Investing in diverse and scalable SMBs offers enterprises competitive advantages, access to new markets, and strengthened supply chain resilience.

The Strategic Importance of Supplier Diversity:
  • Revenue Growth: Companies with strong supplier diversity programs grow their revenue 133% faster than their peers.
  • Innovation: Diverse suppliers bring unique perspectives and solutions, driving innovation within the supply chain.
  • Risk Mitigation: A diverse supplier base reduces dependency on a limited number of vendors, enhancing supply chain resilience.

The 2024 Supplier Diversity Economic Impact Report demonstrates how partnering with diverse suppliers can have profound economic benefits at every level. According to the study, organizations engaging with small and diverse suppliers collectively supported more than 710,000 direct jobs and contributed $60 billion in wages.
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2/19/2025 0 Comments

Breaking the Myths: Why DEI in Procurement is Still Essential for Growth

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in procurement have faced scrutiny, with some questioning their necessity. However, DEI initiatives are crucial for driving economic growth, enhancing competitiveness, and fostering sustainable business ecosystems.

Debunking Common Myths
  • Myth #1: Supplier Diversity Lowers Quality
    Reality: Many diverse suppliers offer specialized expertise and flexibility that large vendors cannot provide.
  • Myth #2: DEI is Just a Trend
    Reality: Companies that prioritize supplier diversity are outperforming their peers in profitability and innovation.
  • Myth #3: It's Too Hard to Find Qualified Diverse Suppliers
    Reality: AI-powered platforms like Scaleup simplify the process, matching enterprises with vetted SMBs.

A study by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) found that certified minority-owned businesses generated more than $400 billion in economic output in 2018, contributing to the creation and preservation of more than 2.2 million jobs.

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2/13/2025 0 Comments

The AI Advantage: How Scaleup Connects SMBs & Enterprises for Smarter Growth

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, enterprises often face challenges in identifying scalable small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that align with their procurement needs. Traditional sourcing methods can be time-consuming and may overlook high-potential diverse suppliers. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers a transformative solution. Scaleup's AI-driven platform revolutionizes supplier discovery, efficiently connecting enterprises with qualified SMBs.

AI-powered supplier discovery offers several key advantages:
  • Efficiency: AI automates labor-intensive tasks like data collection and supplier evaluation, allowing procurement teams to focus on strategic activities.
  • Accuracy: By evaluating a broader set of data points, AI ensures that suppliers meet specific quality, compliance, and performance standards.
  • Scalability: AI systems continuously update supplier rankings based on performance metrics, enabling businesses to maintain a robust and reliable supplier network.​

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12/19/2023 0 Comments

How Scaleup Transforms Supplier Diversity: Insights from AWS re:Invent 2023

Supplier diversity is more than a metric to track -- it’s a strategic initiative that drives innovation, growth, and competitive advantage. In our presentation at AWS re:Invent 2023, we explored how Scaleup empowers enterprises to unlock the full potential of supplier diversity through advanced technology and actionable insights.

Simply put, Scaleup simplifies supplier diversity.
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Scaleup was designed to tackle one of the biggest challenges enterprises face: finding diverse suppliers who are scalable, enterprise-ready, and vetted for success. Our platform leverages AI and machine learning to streamline the entire process, from discovery to onboarding.

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10/17/2023 0 Comments

How Scaleup Partners with Fortune 200 Enterprises to Scale Diverse-Owned Businesses

Driving Equity Through Supplier Diversity
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Scaleup is on a mission to close the $300 billion gap in committed spend to diverse-owned suppliers by enabling Fortune 200 enterprises to scale their most promising diverse suppliers. Founded by three innovators who incubated the company at Amazon, Scaleup is committed to creating a more equitable marketplace through innovative tools and strategic partnerships.

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