Phizenix CEO Khursheed Irani recently spent the day at the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Conference in Los Angeles. NMSDC exists to create opportunities for minority-owned businesses, and on the conference floor that mission came to life through one meaningful conversation after another.

Over the course of the day, Khursheed connected with teams from Apple, The Coca-Cola Company, Google, Amazon, JPMorganChase, PNC, U.S. Bank, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Chevron, Deloitte, EY, PwC, Pinnacle Group, AgileOne, Magnit Global and many others.

A few ideas from the day are worth carrying forward.

The first is that supplier diversity is built one relationship at a time. Programs and commitments matter, but the real progress happens when people from large enterprises and small businesses sit down together, listen, and find where they can create value for each other.

The second is that the right people make all the difference. That belief sits at the heart of how Phizenix works. We bring together staffing, training, and consulting because we've seen how much changes when an organization is matched with the right talent and the right partner.

The third is that community matters. For a small business, having an organization like NMSDC in your corner opens doors that would otherwise stay closed. As Khursheed put it, building Phizenix has been “a journey close to my heart,” and the support of the NMSDC community has been part of that journey.

We left Los Angeles grateful for every conversation and energized by the connections made.

At Phizenix, we help organizations find the people, skills, and guidance they need to grow. If you're thinking about your workforce, your supplier relationships, or how to build stronger partnerships with small businesses, we'd love to be part of that conversation.