Summit brings leaders of minority-owned businesses to campus
The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and Miami University presented the first Minority-Owned Business Leaders’ Summit at Miami's Oxford campus, Monday, March 6.
While on campus, leaders of minority-owned businesses spoke with representatives from career services about hiring students as interns and employees, held an interactive roundtable with student leaders and discussed working with a public university with administrators.
“Miami University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion was on full display during its inaugural event with the Cincinnati Chamber,” said Darrin Redus, vice president of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Minority Business Accelerator. “It is truly worth celebrating. We applaud Miami’s leadership, faculty and student body for exemplifying the vision and values of a rich multicultural experience.”
Some of the participating companies committed to hiring Miami students through the Ohio Means Internships and Co-ops (OMIC) program. The OMIC is a strategic investment of state and private dollars to increase the number of internships and co-ops for employers and students in key industries to close the skills gap, increase student completion and give Ohio a competitive advantage in the global human capital talent marketplace.
“Everyone talks about 'small businesses' in theory, but students were able to see their CEOs in person,” said Ifeolu A.C. Claytor, a senior political science and social justice studies double major. “The fact that these entrepreneurs are from minority backgrounds is just a plus. These are the types of out-of-class experiences that make a college education whole.”
Local business leaders participating in the event include:
- Karen Cooper, Smart IT & Consulting Solutions
- Chukwuma “Chuma” Ekwueme, SURE Mechanical
- E. Thomas Fernandez, SFA Architects
- John Hawkins, Pathfinder/MPI Consulting
- Evans Nwankwo, Megen Construction Co.
- Icy Williams, Atmos 360.
