VAMBOA would like to congratulate Wendy Matheu for being named one of the DiversityPlus Top Women in Power award winners. Ms. Matheu, the Supplier Diversity Manager at Amgen, was responsible for Amgen’s sponsorship of the Power Your Business Conference in April, and she also served as Emcee of the event.

By Allison Bruce

There hasn’t been a better time for securing government and corporate contracts if your company helps meet diversity requirements, but that doesn’t mean those business owners can sit back and wait for customers to come to them.

Instead, those small business owners need to pursue certification, register as potential suppliers with organizations and companies, and do their research — on the contracts they are pursuing, on their competitors’ capabilities and on what they can offer to set themselves apart in an increasingly competitive market.

That was some of the advice speakers offered and repeated throughout the day to the roughly 200 people in attendance at the “Power Your Business” supplier diversity conference at Amgen’s conference center in Thousand Oaks on Tuesday. The day, which targeted minority, women, veterans and gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender business owners, covered topics from securing government contracts and corporate business to personal finances.

There are legal requirements in place that drive certain government agencies and corporations to pursue diversity in supplier relationships, but that’s not all.

Johnson Controls, which has spent more than $1 billion each year since 2002 with woman- and minority-owned suppliers, pursues diversity because it strengthens the company’s supply base, makes it a good corporate citizen and builds the bottom line, said Lorenzo Bell, supplier diversity manager for the company.

“The No. 1 reason why we do it is because it makes us money,” he said. “If we make money, our customers make money and our suppliers make money.”

It also lets the company differentiate itself when it approaches its own customers in the automotive, battery or building efficiency industries, he said.

Corporate representatives said it was important that suppliers have certification that recognizes that they meet the requirements as a minority- or woman-owned business.

For veterans, certification is a more muddled process, which includes certification through Veterans Affairs to handle certain government contracts; through state programs, which aren’t recognized at the federal level; and through the Small Business Administration.

That can be a challenge and a headache, as some attendees noted their own experiences with the lengthy process and dismay at not having a single certification recognized across agencies.

There are efforts, such as a single website that would pull together information from across departments and agencies for veteran entrepreneurs, that might help, said William Elmore, associate administrator for veterans business development for the Small Business Administration.

Being certified as a minority-, woman-, veteran- or LGBT-owned business is a quick way to show that a business meets all of the requirements of that certification, but business owners should take advantage of other resources available through the certifying organizations, such as trade shows, networking and directories, said Candace Waterman, senior director of compliance and alliance relationships for the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

“Certification is like a gym membership,” she said. “If you don’t use it, it’s not going to work.”

Other speakers agreed that the certification is necessary, but it’s not what gets a foot in the door as a supplier. That comes from setting the business apart from the competition, building a relationship with companies and agencies and honing — and specializing — a quick pitch on what the company can do based on the demands of the contract.

Diane Esqueda is an account manager with Agnew, a translation agency based in Westlake Village that is WBENC-certified. Esqueda said certification often is the added element needed for the opportunity to bid on an account.

She and other attendees said they were at the conference to learn information that would help their businesses and network with others.

“Amgen is one of our clients, a number of organizations here presenting are our clients and the room is filled with potential clients,” she said.

Steps of Success

Revered by many to be a man of great integrity and worth, Lt. Colonel Tom Lasser was recently named “Veteran of the Year” by Assembly member Ted Lieu at the 3^rd annual Veteran of the Year ceremony.

Our own Co-chair, Debbie Gregory, is a long time friend of Lasser and was happy to hear the news of his award, citing his deserving of it because of his “24/7” work ethic and all around good will. Lasser’s 7 years of active duty service and 33 years spent with the California National Guard might speak for themselves, but after 40 years of veteran service, this award is a long time coming.

Lasser is a Vietnam veteran who earned his Army aviator wings upon completion of the Army Aviation Warrant Officer Aviator Flight Course. He is a brightly decorated war vet, earning the Purple Heart award, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 35 Oak Leaf clusters, the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medals and many other awards and commendations. He is a master Army aviator with more than 1000 Vietnam helicopter missions and over 6000 total flying hours.

It is no wonder why someone with such impressive experience and impenetrable devotion to his country would be recognized with an award of this nature. Lasser is truly a role model for American veterans.

Lasser has resided in Redondo Beach with his wife for 20 years. They have a daughter, Ami’ Collette, who works in the fashion industry in Hollywood.

Tom Lasser is a proud veteran business owner.