BEAM Collaborative

We were honored to have our CEO and Co-Founder, Joel Burstein, speak at the Highmark Business Inclusion Micro-conference for over a hundred small businesses. His presentation focused on a critical question for small business owners: are you a "Strategic Scaler", or an "Income Stabilizer"? Understanding your business strategy is essential to long-term success. Whether you're looking to scale your business or stabilize your income, the most important step is knowing which path is right for you and staying true to that choice. If you’re interested in learning more about these two strategies or want to take our "Small Biz Quiz" to discover your path, feel free to reach out to us. We would also like to thank Lee Lewis, Jr., DMin, CSDP and his Highmark Health team for always putting together such a fantastic and informative event. James Myers Jr. Joe Massaro Micah Arnold #highmarkhealthbusinessinclusion

We are thrilled to welcome James Myers Jr. to the BEAM Collaborative team as our new Vice President of Business Development! With over 12 years of experience in community engagement, local small business development, and economic development, James brings a wealth of knowledge to help us expand our reach and enhance our impact. James is passionate about driving meaningful growth for both local and minority-owned small businesses and empowering communities through innovative solutions. His track record of fostering relationships and executing successful growth strategies makes him a perfect fit for our mission at BEAM. Please join us in welcoming James to the team as we continue to build stronger, more inclusive economies together!

Pitt, Penn State and Temple have signed a new agreement, a first-of-its-kind joint competitive agreement, with Pennsylvania-based, black-led supplier Supra. BEAM is proud to work with anchor partners who seek innovative solutions to inclusive procurement. We applaud all three universities for working together to grow Pennsylvania business, accelerate supplier diversity and meet their needs in a smart, collaborative way. https://lnkd.in/eJDUsE82 University of Pittsburgh Penn State University Temple University Team Pennsylvania

We are excited to share that our CEO, Robert Cherry, is recognized as one of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Class of 2024 Men of Excellence! 🎉 As part of this recognition, Rob and other award winners will be honored at the Men of Excellence Awards Ceremony on Friday, September 13, 2024, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown Hotel. We are proud to have Rob leading our team, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition! #NPCMOE2024 #Partner4Work #IAmNPCMOE2024

Small Business Resource 💼 Networking Event for MWDBE Union Contractors & those interested in becoming a MWDBE Union Contractor Are you a MWDBE (Minority, Women, or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) union contractor or interested in becoming one? Do you want to expand your network and learn about new opportunities in the construction industry? If so, join Master Builders' Association of Western Pennsylvania, Inc. for a networking event on August 29, 2024, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Carpenters Office Building. Details: Thursday, August 29, 2024 (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM) (EDT) Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, 650 Ridge Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 To register and find more information about this event, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eGRTdezY

All students deserve healthy learning environments. Kudos to Pittsburgh Public Schools & Wilkinsburg School District for securing $15.3M in grant funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The federal funding will enable the districts to upgrade & repair their school facilities to become more energy-independent & increase the availability of air conditioning in schools. Photo credit: Katie Blackley/90.5 WESA Women for a Healthy Environment; Green Building Alliance

With more than $24 billion 💵 in Pittsburgh-area contracts 🔍analyzed and assessed, we strive to increase 📈 the use and quality of local, small and minority-led businesses. More local contracts means a more robust and resilient regional economy. 🏋♂️ And we're just getting started. Joel Burstein Joe Massaro Maria D. Anderson Micah Arnold

Back from Washington DC and Horizons' Jobs for the Future Conference! We absolutely loved participating in the conference which featured BEAM's CEO Joel Burstein on a panel with Robert Cherry, CEO of Partner4Work and BEAM Board Member, and Christina Van Houten who leads Equity Quotient. Special thanks to Perfecto Sanchez for facilitating the conversation. Our core message: We are doing something groundbreaking and important here in the Pittsburgh region around supplier engagement and capacity building. At BEAM, our Supplier Diversity model has the potential to shift over a billion of revenue from off-shore or other remote suppliers back into our region. Sourcing locally means hiring locally. Sourcing locally means greater resilience in supply chains, money continues to circulate in our local communities, and local wealth grows. We are joined in this approach by well-established "anchor" organizations who are shoring up their supplier programs and keeping investment local with excellent minority-led businesses.

After a successful pilot program funded by the Endowments last year, Pittsburgh Regional Transit will start a program early next year to offer employers, apartment owners & schools the opportunity to buy blocks of transit passes at sharply reduced prices. The study showed participants expanded their use of public transit, & the possibility of getting a transit pass influenced their job choice. Read more: Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership; City of Pittsburgh #PublicTransit

We ❤️ this approach! When a business or organization intentionally selects local suppliers, particularly diverse local suppliers, money continues to circulate within our region. What else happens? ⬆️Community Investment increases ⬆️Hiring increases 🔗Supply chains grow more resilient and robust. Everyone wins. At BEAM, we are forging a brighter and more equitable future for local businesses. We are designing new procurement practices based on data science and best practices.