WASHINGTON, D.C. — June 3, 2026 — As businesses increasingly look beyond government contracting and toward Corporate America for growth, two organizations with roots in both the public and private sectors are joining forces to expand economic opportunity nationwide.
The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), led by former Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development Donald Cravins Jr., and the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commercesigned a Memorandum of Understanding on Capitol Hill Wednesday aimed at strengthening connections between entrepreneurs, supplier networks, major corporations, chambers of commerce, and economic-development partners.
The agreement is the latest step in an effort that began at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding with the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). That agreement, which generated nationwide attention, established a framework for expanding economic opportunity, strategic partnerships, educational resources, and business growth across both the public and private sectors, while marking the first formal partnership of its kind between the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and a Jewish business organization.
As part of the Chamber’s historic MOU with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), federal officials directed the organization to establish its own independent certification program to help advance the agreement’s broader goals of economic inclusion, business development, and expanded access to opportunities. The Chamber subsequently launched an inclusive certification model backed by a rigorous vetting and due-diligence process, creating a pathway for qualified businesses to gain greater visibility and open doors that may have previously remained out of reach.
Now, with Donald Cravins Jr.—who previously served as Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development and now leads the National Minority Supplier Development Council—heading one of the nation’s most influential supplier-development organizations, both groups see an opportunity to build upon that foundation and extend it further into Corporate America.
The timing is significant. Business leaders estimate that roughly 70% of supplier-diversity and minority-business contracting opportunities originate within Corporate America, making private-sector engagement one of the most important drivers of growth for businesses seeking to scale nationally.
Founded in 1972, NMSDC is among the nation’s oldest and largest supplier-development organizations, connecting certified businesses with major corporations through a nationwide network of regional affiliates and corporate members. According to the council’s most recent economic impact report, NMSDC-certified minority business enterprises generated $599.7 billion in economic output and supported more than 2.2 million jobs in 2024.
The partnership is rooted in the belief that stronger collaboration creates stronger outcomes. NMSDC brings one of the nation’s most established supplier-development and corporate-engagement networks. The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commercebrings extensive experience in advocacy, public-private partnerships, economic-development initiatives, and coalition building across chambers of commerce, business organizations, government agencies, and economic-development stakeholders.
Leaders from both organizations view the relationship as highly complementary. While NMSDC focuses on supplier development, certification, and corporate engagement, the Chamber has developed a strong track record advocating for policies and initiatives that support businesses, employers, economic growth, innovation, and stronger economic participation throughout the United States.
By combining their respective strengths, networks, relationships, and expertise, both organizations believe they can help businesses identify new opportunities, strengthen supply chains, expand market access, build strategic partnerships, and contribute to stronger economic outcomes.
The collaboration is also intended to create value for Corporate America itself. By fostering stronger connections between corporations, suppliers, chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, and community stakeholders, both organizations believe the partnership can help businesses become more competitive, strengthen procurement networks, improve access to talent and innovation, and ultimately support stronger bottom-line performance.
“This is a true partnership where both organizations bring meaningful value to the table,” said Duvi Honig, Founder and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. “NMSDC has built one of the most respected supplier-development and corporate-engagement networks in America. We bring advocacy, public-private partnerships, economic-development initiatives, and relationships throughout government, chambers of commerce, and the business community. Together we are stronger.”
Honig said the Chamber’s original partnership with MBDA was never intended to focus solely on government opportunities.
“The vision behind our Commerce Department partnership was always larger than government contracting alone,” Honig said. “It was about opening doors, creating opportunity, empowering businesses, and helping entrepreneurs access the relationships and resources they need to succeed across both the public and private sectors. This partnership with NMSDC strengthens that mission and expands it.”
Donald Cravins Jr., President and CEO of NMSDC, said the agreement reflects a shared commitment to expanding economic opportunity and helping businesses grow.
“Partnerships create scale and opportunity,” Cravins said. “When organizations with complementary strengths work together, businesses gain access to more relationships, more opportunities, and more resources to help them grow and succeed.”
For businesses in both networks, the partnership is expected to create greater exposure to new relationships, business-development opportunities, educational resources, supplier-engagement initiatives, conferences, advocacy efforts, workforce-development programs, and strategic partnerships. The organizations also expect to collaborate on initiatives helping businesses adapt to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The Chamber also credited Don Graves, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, with helping foster relationships that contributed to the agreement and with supporting continued collaboration between business communities.
“We are grateful to Don Graves for his leadership and commitment to expanding economic opportunity,” Honig said. “His efforts helped lay the groundwork for partnerships that continue to create meaningful opportunities for businesses and communities across America.”
Supporters of the agreement say the Capitol Hill signing reflects a broader trend across the business community: organizations increasingly recognizing that in a more competitive economy, growth is often accelerated when networks are shared, relationships are expanded, and complementary strengths are aligned.
For both organizations, the signing represents a belief that economic growth is increasingly driven not by institutions working independently, but by partnerships that combine strengths, widen networks, strengthen Corporate America, and open doors neither side could open alone.