Session: Weaving Diversity Throughout and Beyond Your Company
“Diversity” seems to be the word on everyone’s lips these days, with more businesses than ever pledging to take action. What does it really mean, though, to “promote diversity”? Hire a diverse staff? Maintain a diverse supply chain? How can diverse businesses, such as Women-Owned, market themselves more effectively and connect with more opportunities?
It often feels like diversity is at risk of becoming more of a buzzword than an actual ethos, but Tracey Grace shows that there are still people in the business world striving to make it better. Diversity needs to go far beyond the walls of a company’s office. This session will explore how companies can diversify their supply chain, promote diversity within their organization, and how diverse suppliers can leverage their diversity status to find more opportunities.
Bio
Tracey Grace is president and CEO of IBEX IT Business Experts (IBEX) based in Norcross, Georgia, and is a sought-after public speaker on Information Technology, Women in IT, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives. She is originally from Morristown, New Jersey and attended the University of Pittsburgh where she received both her Bachelor’s in Economics and Master of Business Administration in Marketing. After a successful career in corporate America working for IT and consulting companies, Tracey started IBEX in 2012 with just one hospital system account. IBEX is an 8(a) and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), certified through the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) respectively. In 2020, the Inc. 5000 list identified IBEX as one of the fastest growing small businesses in America for the third year in a row (#802 in the US, #31 in Georgia). IBEX has previously received the American Express “On the Rise” Government Contractor of the Year award. In 2017, Tracey won the GMSDC “Eagle Award” for her commitment to Supplier Diversity, and an award in the Capital One Catapult Competition for the development of a Supplier Diversity Vendor Management System called “Certifiably Diverse” currently being utilized at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Forbes Magazine took notice and published an article in August of 2019; Tracey Grace: The Tech Sector needs more Women and Minorities. In 2019, Owens & Minor, a Fortune 500 Company awarded Team IBEX the Earl G. Reubel Award for Diverse Enterprise of the Year and the Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC) awarded Team IBEX with the LACE (Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellence) Trailblazer Award in Category III.