Business Diversity Program at UW
About
Program Overview:
Founded in 2016, the Business Diversity Program at UW is dedicated to ensuring the equality of UW business opportunities for small, minority, LGBTQ, service-disabled, veteran, and women‐owned businesses. This includes making efforts to ensure that the University is mindful and aware of the types of businesses that are contracted as suppliers of goods and services. Diversity within the supply chain helps strengthen the economic development and viability of small, minority and women‐owned businesses and helps the University receive quality goods and services at competitive prices from its vendors.
Each academic school year, students are invited to join the Business Diversity Program and have a chance to make a change. This team of students from across various majors and academic focuses examines the best way to communicate to their peers of the vital role business diversity plays at the University. Commitment to the program includes attending meetings on a weekly basis, devoting several hours per week to conducting research, executing the campaign, and spreading the word about business diversity. We strive to provide students with the opportunity to have a positive impact on how the University does business.
Mission:
To promote the practice of buying from diverse-owned suppliers, through the education and engagement of the University of Washington community.
Vision:
To have a campus where all business owners are given the opportunity to conduct business on campus, while educating the UW community about the importance of business diversity. Secondly providing professional development opportunities to undergraduate students across campus.
Goals:
- Encourage the UW community to purchase from local diverse owned businesses
- Educate and provide opportunities for business owners and students to engage with the supplier diversity initiative
- Create brand awareness of the importance of local diverse owned suppliers and provide exposure for them to the UW community