Say Hello to Supplier Diversity
As Herman Miller’s digital agency of record, Hello Design is responsible for shaping and overseeing the company’s digital strategy and executing digital touch points—from its website to its social media channels.
Established in 1999 by CEO/Creative Director David Lai and Creative Director Hiro Niwa, the award-winning company has been a minority-owned business for several years. But it wasn’t until they began working with Herman Miller that they learned about the benefits of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification.
Once Herman Miller employees explained to them why supplier diversity was important to the company, Hello was motivated to begin the certification process.
Lai and Niwa admit that the application process is rigorous. The certification requires thorough documentation to prove a company meets all of the criteria. In fact, one of the partners had to get U.S. citizenship.
Shortly after receiving MBE certification, Lai and Niwa began to experience the benefits that come with it. They contacted existing clients who directed them to their supplier diversity teams—a move that could help Hello gain additional business.
That is a fairly rigorous certification process. I remember at one company I worked for we had a supplier listed as a minority owned business but the guy who owned it was actually directly descended from (European) Spanish and American Irish parents. According to the MBE definition HM uses, this wouldn’t pass muster. But, the guy spoke Spanish fluently and had really made a niche for himself in the local Hispanic community so that was considered close enough for my employer’s purposes. I do think working with the NMSDC does make it much easier to sort out the certification process.
Daisy McCarty