WRMSDC's 2025 Excellence Awards
Our awards celebrate the best minority suppliers and Corporate Members in Northern California, Nevada, and Hawai‘i. Key deadlines:
- January 31, 2025: Nominations due
- March 5, 2025: Required Letters of Recommendation for the Supplier of the Year Award and Prime Supplier of the Year Award due to nominees for inclusion in their applications (send directly to applicants)
- April 11, 2025: Award applications due
WRMSDC reserves the right to re-categorize applicants if necessary. A panel of anonymous judges selects the winners. On all application forms, unless otherwise noted, "WRMSDC MBEs" includes our Subscription Service MBEs. We will announce all award winners live at our Gala in May.
Contact us with questions at tedi@wrmsdc.org.
Below are the available services. You can rank your preferred services, and we will do our best to match you with the option that best fits your needs.
🔹 Public Relations & Business Strategy Session (Single Session)
Define your target customer, increase engagement, and develop a strategic approach. Includes a customized document with key insights, recommendations, and an actionable roadmap.
🔹 Mental Health & Wellness Coaching for Business Owners (Multiple Sessions)
Prioritize your well-being with guidance tailored to help you manage stress, maintain balance, and build resilience as an entrepreneur.
🔹 Creative Agency Content Starter Kit
Get the tools and guidance needed to create compelling brand content that resonates with your audience, from messaging to visuals.
🔹 Marketing & Social Media Strategy Sessions (Multiple Sessions)
Learn how to refine your marketing strategy with audience insights, social media best practices (TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), email marketing, and short video content.
All Money is Green Award – recognizes a WRMSDC certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) that has done the most business with other certified MBEs in the previous year. This is an award for a company, not a person/individual.
Who can apply? WRMSDC certified MBEs, including Subscription Service MBEs. Nominations are not required.
Cornerstone Award – recognizes a Certified Class 3 or 4 Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) or affiliate organization that has demonstrated company-wide support of WRMSDC and whose Supplier Diversity initiatives are moving the needle toward a more inclusive and diverse landscape. This is an award for a company, not a person/individual. *If your company won this award for 3 years in a row, you may not apply this year.*
Who can apply? Certified Class 3 & 4 MBEs and affiliate organizations (examples include the CPUC and City of Oakland). National and Local Corporate Members are not eligible. Nominations are not required.
Supplier of the Year Award – Recognizes four WRMSDC certified Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs) that demonstrate excellence in their services and products and show growth in sales and job creation. Winners are automatically entered in the NMSDC competition. This is an award for a company, not a person/individual. MBEs will compete against other MBEs in their own Class: Class 1 = annual sales <$1M; Class 2 = $1M-10M; Class 3 = $10M-50M; Class 4 = >$50M.
Who can apply? WRMSDC certified Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs), including Subscription Service MBEs. The MBEs on this list are ineligible to compete this year.
Nomination Process: For an MBE to compete for this award, a Local/Regional or National Corporate Member must nominate them here, then email a letter of recommendation on company letterhead directly to their nominee (the nominee must include it in their application).
Application Process:
Your application MUST include, as a SINGLE pdf:
- MBE Nominee Profile Worksheet - adhere to the word count! Each item in Items 3-7 should not exceed 300 words unless stated otherwise. Examples: 4A is restricted to <300 words, 4B is restricted to <300 words. Click here for the 2025 MBE Nominee Profile Worksheet
- Corporate Nomination Worksheet - you must fill this out with your Corporate nominator's info. Click here for the 2025 Corporate Nomination Worksheet
- Letter of Recommendation on company letterhead from the Corporate Member nominating you (strong applications have multiple letters of support). Letters of Recommendation must address NMSDC's Selection Criteria, outlined here (look for "Selection Criteria"): click here
- A copy of your current Certification Certificate.
- Any applicable supporting documents.
Read our application tips here.
Note: The winners of WRMSDC's Supplier of the Year will automatically go on to compete in NMSDC's Regional competition. Make your application competitive by addressing challenges that are more global than local and including Letters of Recommendation from National clients as well. Click here for a list of past National Supplier of the Year winners (these MBEs are ineligible to apply for the 2025 Supplier of the Year Award).
TBD
Thank you for taking the time to apply for WRMSDC's Development Programs!
Application requirements: Business proprietors and senior executives of organizations.
This tailored experience includes:
- Networking opportunities
- Scheduled, in-depth one-on-one mentoring from business practitioners through the duration of the program
Workshops include:
- Crafting Your Business Story
- Finance Fundamentals
- Efficiency Unleashed: Strategies for Peak Performance
- Empowering Your Talent: Tools for Workforce Development
- Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape
- Unlocking Financial Opportunities: Accessing Capital
- Sustainability & Responsibility in Business
Business Growth Acceleration Program (BGAP)
Recommended criteria: Please note: Revenue is not the primary requirement for eligibility
- Business proprietors and senior executives of organizations who have a minimum of one year of experience running a business and at least $2M in annual sales
- Individuals who complete the Corporate Ready Program and receive recommendations from their facilitators
This tailored experience includes:
- Six months of expert training
- Scheduled, in-depth one-on-one mentoring from business practitioners through the duration of the program
- Final presentation opportunity to WRMSDC Corporate Members
- Participating executives have the valuable opportunity to create relationships with the entire cohort of businesses
Sessions include:
- Future Forward Business Growth
- Collaborating for Strategic Excellence
- Outreach Optimization Part 1
- AI for Social Media Success
- Outreach Optimization Part 2
- Financial Checkup and Growth Impact Part 1
- Financial Checkup and Growth Impact Part 2
- Leadership Evolution
- Embracing Perspectives: Building a Diverse Workplace Culture
- Strategic Growth: Moving Plans to Action & Presentation Prep
Generating Revenue, Opportunity, and Wins (GROW) Program
- Gain expertise in Business Presentation & Pitching, Marketing, and Communications
- Build a robust network and enhance your ability to connect with industry leaders and peers
Duration: Time commitment varies based on the chosen development area
Please email develop@wrmsdc.org for more information