Mayor’s Mentor Protégé Program
OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE
On October 20, 2014, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the formation of the first city-sponsored mentor protégé program designed to foster partnerships among successful large enterprises (mentors) and emerging small, minority and women-owned businesses (protégés).
The Mayor’s Mentor/Protégé Program (MMPP) seeks to provide opportunities to participants to improve their business practices, develop relationships with other companies and promote their own business. The Program’s objective is to help to reduce the number of small businesses that fail in the Baltimore region and to provide value to the participants through relational and training opportunities so that participating protégés may become mentors over time. Additionally, the Mayor’s Mentor Protégé Program (MMPP) works to accelerate business activity among government and corporate entities with the minority and women-owned business community. The MMPP is a recommendation from the Mayor’s Advisory Council report – A New Day, A Better Way.
The Mayor’s Mentor Protégé Program is comprised of three guiding principles: relationship building, education and reporting. The mentor-protégé team identifies strategies for accelerating growth and development. Entrepreneurs learn how to improve operations, create valuable business alliances and accelerate growth. Mentor companies tutor their protégé businesses on how to incorporate best practices into their overall operations.
MMPP’S VALUE PROPOSITION
Program participants may elect to participate in one of three models:
1. MMPP – Traditional Mentor/Protégé Model
This model is driven by industry sectors. Mentors are prime contractors and leaders in their respective industries. Examples of industries: construction; healthcare; tourism; professional services; technology
2. MMPP – Public/Private Partnerships
Under this model, specific private sector partnerships will participate. These mentors may self-select their protégés based on the needs of a specific project. Mayor’s Mentor-Protégé Program Page 2
3. MMPP – Minorities Helping Minorities – “Lift as we climb”
This model is motivated by minority and women-owned businesses helping or supporting each other. Minority mentors in this category must be successful in their markets, be an established business of 5 years or more and have annual revenues in excess of five million dollars.
THE PROCESS OF ENGAGING
We are engaging in a full recruitment effort. The following companies (by category) have volunteered to be a part of the inaugural pilot:
Public Private Partnerships
Beatty Development
Mr. Michael Beatty is leading by example. As a part of his commitment as outlined in the Harbor Point MOU [June, 2013], Beatty Development and its prime contractors have committed to this program. On the Harbor Point Project, the following mentor / protégé relationships are being developed:
Mentor
Beatty Development Group – Michael Beatty, President
Protégé
Verde Development Group – Martin Richardson, CEO
Mentor
Armada Hoffler Construction Company – Tim Hodges, Project Executive
Protégé
Legacy Builders & Construction Services, Inc. - Jimmy Stewart, VP Business Development & Kinya Stewart, President and CEO
Mentor
Poole & Kent - Tom Lynott, Vice President
Protégé
Aegis Mechanical Corp – Barnett Carroll, President & CEO
Mentor
Rosendin Electric - Bennett Rhodes, Baltimore Division Manager
Protégé
Brown-Tisdale Inc. - Chet Brown, President
The Traditional Model
The following companies have committed to working with the MMPP. If not identified, their protégés will be recommended by the Advisory Committee.
Mentor
Barton Malow, Benjamin Morgan, VP Mayor’s Mentor-Protégé Program Page 3
Protégé
Namdi Iwuoha, CEO
Avalon Consulting Services
Mentor
Louis Berger, Anwar Hasan, VP
Protégé
TBD
Minorities Mentoring Minorities – “Lift as We Climb”
The following mentors have consented to be a part of this innovative program. We will work with this group of successful MBES to identify the appropriate protégés.
BithGroup Technologies – Robert L. Wallace, CEO
Mahogany – Jeff Hargrave, CEO
M. Luis Construction – Cidalia Luis-Akbar, CEO
King, King and King – Pamela King, CEO
The Aspen Group – Armentha “Mike” Cruise, CEO
Chester Engineers -- Robert O. Agbede, CEO
Stella May Contracting – Stella Miller, CEO
P&J Contracting – Pless Jones, CEO
This is just the beginning. Specifically, the “Lift as We Climb” component has been endorsed by members of the President’s Roundtable (PRT). The PRT represents the most successful business owners in the Baltimore region.
Governance
Representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development (MWBD), in collaboration with the Minority and Women’s Business Opportunity Office (MWBOO); the Small Business Resource Center (SBRC); the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center, Baltimore; and, the Mayor’s Coalition on Supplier Diversity and Inclusion, shall form a committee to provide oversight of the process.
For questions about the Mayor’s Mentor/Protégé Program, please call the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development, 410.396.3818.
