Events

Join the Consumers Energy team as they bring you information about residential and business energy efficiency solutions! Did you know you have access to a number of programs and resources that improve energy efficiency and impact your bottom line and how you can register to become a supplier with Consumers Energy? Presented by Lynn Wilson, Consumers Energy Supplier Diversity Manager.

Prepare for Buyer Opportunities! Are you lost when it comes navigating networking and matchmaking sessions virtually? Nick Moore shares an overview of the platform for the 21st Annual Great Lakes Women's Business Conference to get you ready for planned and organic opportunities. Duc Nguyen Abrahamson shares exceptional tips on how to approach virtual networking professionally and Tiffany Cartwright shares how to prepare for matchmaking opportunities!

Are you pitch-perfect? Sara Norris shares how to perfect your pitch to make that important first impression whether it be in five words or two minutes. Join Sara for practical tips on using that important differentiator and how to be camera-ready if pitching virtually. Business owner Lesa Walker shares her experiences pitching in competitions at events, with supplier diversity professionals, and with buyers. Perfect your pitch to improve your opportunities!

Building a capability statement that's simple, easy to read yet impactful requires a strategic approach. Vincent Tucker, Ford Supplier Diversity, shares valuable insights on what a corporate buyer is looking for in a capability statement and provides tips on what works. Woman business owner Tiffany Klingensmith shares how she uses her capability statement to garner success and how you can too!

Where do you begin when connecting with buyers for opportunities? Jami Moore will share how researching and doing homework on your targeted company helps you to know if the opportunity is right for you, if the company is engaged in supplier diversity and how to leverage the research to modify or create your pitch and supplemental documents. Lynn Garrison of Blue Cross Blue Shield will share Do's and Don'ts from the corporate perspective!

What's Your Employer Strategy? Evolve your focus on organizational culture and enhance your brand for recruiting strategy in 2021! Molly Mason and Amy Bergman share strategies focused on diversifying the applicant pool, recruiting talent, defining your employer brand and communicating this in the candidate marketplace.

Are You Tapping Into Our Business Resource Partner Network? Mary Shindell, a Top Ten Business Woman of American Business Women's Association (ABWA) will share information about the organization and the Ann Arbor Chapter (MAIA). You'll learn the history, how members connect, benefits and how this business resource partner can help you in your business! Mary will answer your questions live!

Are You Ready to Balance Your Life? Grace Buffa, IAOTP's Top Holistic Health and Wellness Transformational Coach of the Year 2021 will teach you how to balance a busy schedule of home life, career and your own needs. You will leave this workshop motivated to organize and prioritize all the important aspects of your life including you! Avoid burn out! Develop self-care and balance your life!

Do You Have an Idea for an App To Help Your Business? How can you talk the walk of the technical world to bring your app idea to life? This workshop with expert Maria Bailey Benson outlines the process for the non technical business owner of taking an app or software from conception to implementation. Learn about the importance of capturing and documenting project development requirements and explore methods and tools for assessing the accuracy of contracted software development projects!