Diaspora Women in Health Global Business Conference begins in National Harbor

By Megan Sayles AFRO Enterprise Writermsayles@afro.com

Well being LeadHer founder, Ogo Ekwueme, is internet hosting her annual Diaspora Girls in Well being World Enterprise Convention in partnership with Sharrarne Morton, founding father of Black Door Society, Feb. 22 to Feb. 24 on the Gaylord Nationwide Harbor Resort and Conference Middle. 

The summit is offering multicultural girls with entry to greater than $10 million in federal contracting alternatives and can allow girls to listen to from authorities leaders about impending neighborhood well being priorities. 

 “I’m not shy to say we’re the one convention the place each participant walks away with a contracting alternative. Sure, we love to come back collectively, discuss and meet new folks, however after most conferences you’re nonetheless what to do subsequent,” stated Ekwueme. “We’re actually setting these girls as much as have a profitable 2024.” 

In accordance with a 2022 report from McKinsey and Firm, girls occupy simply 32 p.c of C-suite roles in healthcare. Girls of coloration are even much less represented within the trade’s senior degree positions, holding 4 p.c of those roles. 

Growing illustration for multicultural girls is crucial to mitigating well being disparities and transferring towards well being fairness. However, girls should earn sufficient cash to thrive within the trade. 

“Loads of the ladies who come to our convention and interact with our program are nurses, docs, nursing assistants, allied well being professionals, public well being professionals and neighborhood well being staff who’re within the area doing the work and know what their neighborhood wants,” stated Ekwueme. “We have to bridge their understanding of the neighborhood with the {dollars} which are obtainable to proceed to assist their communities.” 

Over the course of the three-day convention, attendees will acquire methods for acquiring authorities contracts, forging new enterprise partnerships and wealth constructing. 

Among the workshops will look at creating wealth as a mom, leveraging synthetic intelligence to win procurement {dollars} and securing grants for well being fairness and neighborhood improvement tasks. 

“The wonderful thing about this convention is that girls in these areas can really entry authorities well being contracts, set up strategic partnerships and construct wealth in alignment with the federal government’s crucial priorities for neighborhood well being,” stated Morton. “They’ll scale their companies and never need to battle a lot.” 

Keynote audio system for the Diaspora Girls in Well being World Enterprise Convention embody Tracy  Balazs; president and CEO of Compass Authorities Options; Eleager Primus, former director of strategic contracting for the Division of Veteran Affairs; and Michael Wooten, former administrator of federal procurement coverage for the White Home. 

Wooten stated he needs girls to go away the convention with an understanding that there are alternatives in public procurement everywhere in the world, not simply on the federal, state and native degree. He additionally needs to make sure attendees know the way vital they’re to enhancing well being in underserved communities. 

“I would like them to grasp that not solely can they serve the sorely deserving girls who’re their sisters, however they will have a worthwhile enterprise doing that,” stated Wooten. 

Megan Sayles is a Report For America corps member.