News and Coverage

View press releases and media coverage from MED Week 2011.

Puerto Rican Maker of Military Uniforms, Gear Named National Minority Small Business Person of the Year at MED Week 2011
October 3, 2011

Oscar Quiles, president of Pentaq Manufacturing Corp., of Sabana Grande, PR, was named the National Minority Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration during the closing awards ceremony Friday night for the 29th annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week conference in Washington, D.C.

“We are honoring Oscar for his commitment to excellence in government contracting, for creating jobs and providing work incentives for his employees, and for manufacturing uniforms and tents for our men and women in the armed services, including the new universal uniforms our troops are now wearing in Afghanistan,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills.  “Oscar’s story is a true testimony of all that small businesses do for our nation and its economy.” Read More

GovWin: MED Week: 'Social Media Both Sexy and Important' for Minority Businesses
September 30, 2011

Entrepreneurs and successful businesses know how important communications and technology are in our current market, but the most vocal are not necessarily the same thing (See Spiral of Silence). During MED Week, three representatives of minority-owned companies provided insight on social media and how it has allowed them to create a different kind of platform for communications and marketing.

The Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership’s Executive Director, Jason Llorenz, Esq., may have said it best: "Social media is both sexy and important. Where else can you see Wolf Blitzer right next to Kim Kardashian?" On Twitter you can not only follow celebrities and popular news anchors, but companies and groups that interest you. All of these people will appear next to each other in your Twitter feed. Read More on GovWin Blog

FederalNewsRadio.com: White House wants to open channels for small businesses
September 30, 2011

A new website will try to close the long-standing communications gap between agencies and small businesses.

The White House will launch BusinessUSA.gov before the end of the calendar year in an effort to make it easier for small firms to find all the services the government offers.

"It will be an online portal that will connect people to all of the programs and resources in an actual and intuitive way," said Ari Matusiak, the executive director of the White House Business Council, during a panel discussion at the 29th Annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week in Washington. "There are a lot of great websites out there, government websites. There are some that are less good. But there are, all told, a ton of them. It's very hard to know that this specific program is for you if you've never heard of it before. You don't necessarily know what the name means and if it applies to you." Read More on FederalNewsRadio.com

Washington State Contractor and U.S. Treasury Official Receive Top Honors at MED Week Conference
September 29, 2011

A woman-owned general contractor from Tacoma, Wash., and a federal contracting official for the Department of Treasury were announced as winners of major awards by the U.S. Small Business Administration during a luncheon held today at the 29th National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week conference. Read More

SBA Signs Agreement with Department of Commerce and Republic of Turkey
September 29, 2011

Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, today signed a tri-partite Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) and the Republic of Turkey’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization (KOSGEB) to encourage collaboration to assist small and medium-sized businesses with international trade opportunities.

The MOU, signed during a luncheon held today at the 29th National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week conference will enhance and improve cooperation between the participants. Read More

GovWin: MED Week Opens with Call to Support American Jobs Act
September 28, 2011

Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week) started off with representatives from the Small Business Administration (SBA), Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and Housing for Urban Development (HUD) expressing how important President Obama’s American Jobs Act is to small businesses. Other agency representatives continued with this message throughout the day.

Six million American workers have been unemployed for six months or longer, diverse communities are at an even greater risk and small businesses continue to account for two out of every three newly-created jobs. Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor Seth Harris stated that investing in small businesses it allows people to reinvest in their local community, hire local workers and help grow the local economy. Read More on GovWin Blog

SBA & MBDA Recognize Minority Entrepreneurs and Promote Small Business Growth Strategies During MED Week 2011
September 21, 2011

“Emerging Industries & Markets: A Blueprint for Success” will be the focus of the 29th annual National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference, Sept. 27-30, 2011, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.

MED Week celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding minority entrepreneurs and leaders and provides a platform for small and minority-owned businesses to learn about business growth strategies, receive premier training and networking opportunities.  Read More

Minority Business Leaders and Influentials to be Honored by MBDA
September 20, 2011

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) proudly announces the 2011 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week award winners. Awardees will be honored at a gala on September 30 in Washington, D.C.

“The minority-owned firms selected are excellent examples of U.S. firms producing American-made products and services that are creating jobs for Americans,” said MBDA National Director David Hinson. Read More

MBDA to Recognize The Honorable Robert Menendez with the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award
September 19, 2011

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) proudly announces the winner of the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award for Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week 2011. The Honorable Robert Menendez, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, will be honored at the Annual Awards Gala at MED Week on September 30, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. The awards gala wraps up the three-day MED Week conference. Read More

MBDA Recognizes James H. Lowry of the Boston Consulting Group with the Abe Venable Award for Lifetime Achievement
September 19, 2011

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today announced that it will honor James H. Lowry, senior advisor and global diversity director for the Boston Consulting Group, with the Abe Venable Award for Lifetime Achievement at the annual MED Week Awards Gala Sept. 30, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. The awards gala closes out the three-day national MED Week conference. Read More

SBA News: 29th Annual MED Week Conference Will Bring Top Minority-Owned Businesses to Washington in September
September 6, 2011

One of 10 small businesses from around the country will be selected as the National Minority Small Business Person of the Year at the 29th annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week conference, hosted jointly in September by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency.  Read More

MBDA Opens Registration for the 29th Annual National Minority Enterprise Development Week Conference
August 29, 2011

The Minority Business Development Agency, in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, today announced the opening of registration for the 2011 Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week) Conference, which will be held Sept. 27-30 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.  The theme of this year’s conference is Emerging Industries and Markets: A Blueprint for Success, and the 3-day event will spotlight trends and opportunities for participating businesses. Read More

MBDA Announces 2011 Regional Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards
August 22, 2011

Winners will become candidates for National Minority Business of the Year Award

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today proudly announced the recipients of the 2011 Regional Minority Enterprise Development Week award. The winners from five different regions – Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and New York – will make up the pool of eligible candidates for the National Minority Business of the Year Award, which is given to the nation’s top firms across a number of different categories. Read More

29th Annual National Minority Enterprise Development Week Conference Announced for 2011
March 14, 2011

Minority Business Development Agency National Director David A. Hinson announced today the 2011 dates and venue for the Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference. 

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, hosts the largest federally sponsored conference for minority businesses, government procurement officials, prime contractors, corporate buyers, and capital providers. This year’s conference will be held Sept. 27-30 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.  Read More