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MBN USA

October 28, 2025

Affiliates champion minority business growth and equity

Recently, 19 presidents representing the regional affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council Inc. (NMSDC) converged on Capitol Hill for the 2025 Day on the Hill. The purpose: to educate and raise awareness among Congressional leaders about the growing threats to programs that support the nation’s minority-owned businesses and to advocate for continued investment in equitable economic opportunity.

For more than 50 years, NMSDC has served as the nation’s leading advocate for minority business enterprises (MBEs), driving $548 billion in annual economic output, supporting over 2 million jobs, and generating $149 billion in wages through its network of 23 regional affiliates and more than 1,700 corporate members.

During the fly-in, affiliate presidents, minority business owners, and affiliate board chairs met with members of Congress and their staff to discuss urgent policy priorities, including preserving funding for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), protecting supplier diversity and 8(a) programs, and opposing proposed cuts to the Small Business Administration (SBA) that could hinder access to federal contracting and capital for minority entrepreneurs.

“This visit to Capitol Hill was about more than advocacy — it was about survival and progress,” said Sharon R. Pinder, President and CEO of the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council and Chair of the NMSDC Affiliate Council’s Public Policy Committee. “Minority business programs are under attack at every level of government. Yet history has shown that when minority-owned businesses thrive, America’s economy grows stronger. We came to Washington to make sure Congress understands that these programs aren’t just about fairness — they’re about the nation’s economic competitiveness.”

Patricia Crenshaw, CEO of the Pacific Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council and chair of the NMSDC Affiliate Presidents Council, added: “Our regional affiliates are on the front lines — connecting more than 17,000 minority-owned businesses to opportunities with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. The data and stories we bring from our regions reflect both the challenges and the promise of these enterprises. We are urging Congress to stand firm in defending all programs that create a pathway to equity and prosperity.”

The affiliate presidents highlighted the tangible impact of federal and local support programs, citing MBDA-funded initiatives and corporate partnerships that have driven measurable increases in contracting, job creation, and business expansion nationwide. They also called for Congressional field hearings and roundtables to document the challenges faced by minority-owned firms, collect local data, and bring transparency to persistent marketplace inequities.

“We are sending a clear message,” Pinder said. “Defunding or dismantling these programs would not only harm minority businesses — it would weaken communities, reduce tax revenue, and limit America’s ability to compete globally. This is a fight for the future of our economy.”