In the days following the 2018 WBENC National Conference & Business Fair in Detroit, some women business owners were already hard at work discovering new ways to grow their business.
WBENC Corporate Member Google hosted 40 diverse suppliers at their Ann Arbor offices for the Google Digital Excellence Program, a two-and-a-half-day program led by Google and the Tuck School of Business featuring digital marketing insights and best practices from faculty from the Tuck School of Business, leading chief marketing officers and leaders from Google.
“At Google we built our Supplier Diversity program to create opportunities for underrepresented businesses, while helping them grow on the web,” says Síofra Harnett, Global Head of Supplier Diversity at Google. “We believe a strong web presence is important for businesses in our program, so they can find success in their field and with other companies.”
Google generously sponsored 10 WBEs from the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council to participate in the program, bringing the total number of WBEs in the seventh class of the Digital Excellence Program to 17.
“We’re thrilled to continue to partner with Tuck on the Digital Excellence Program, and to give small and diverse businesses in our program the opportunity to apply for scholarships to attend,” says Harnett. “It’s been great to partner with WBENC for this class and to have 10 WBEs nominated by the local Council in the class in Ann Arbor.”
As part of the program, participants worked on developing business strategies, designing user experiences, reviewing and preparing tools like Google Analytics, and better preparing their cyber security and mobile strategies for future growth and success. The session kicked off with a deep dive on digital strategy, led by Alva Taylor, Faculty Director for Digital Strategies at Tuck at Dartmouth, and continued with insights on how to do business with Google, as well as the entrepreneurial programs they offer, such as Google for Entrepreneurs and Accelerate with Google.
WBEs left with actionable strategies, resources and tools to improve their digital approach to business.
“The resources that were provided are out of this world easy to implement with high impact results,” says Jane Henry, founder of SeeHerWork. “I am looking forward to taking advantage of all that Google has to offer.”
Cheryl McCants, President & CEO of Impact Consulting Enterprises agrees: “My Google-Tuck experience proved both invigorating and intellectually energizing! I now feel confident that I possess the tools needed to effectively develop, implement and analyze websites, digital campaigns and mobile strategies.”
And Tammy Turner, Partner and Owner of Kapstone Employment Services, says the program helped expand her thinking on how to scale her business. “This caused me to look at my business differently in terms of growth and innovation,” she says. “This program has been amazing and a value-add, and I was able to make an immediate impact to my business’s bottom line!”
WBENC’s own Director of Strategic Planning, Andrew Gaeckle, was also in attendance. “Joining the cohort this past week I experienced firsthand how the Google’s Digital Excellence Program is creating the much needed education and resources for small and diverse businesses to grow in an ever changing digital world,” he says. “We are thankful and excited for the opportunity to partner with Google to provide WBEs with this great opportunity.”
WBENC looks forward to continuing to partner with Google on this program. The next cohort will be offered October 18 – 20, 2018 in Austin, Texas. All interested participants should register with Google’s Small Business Supplier Diversity Program to be considered.
The Details
- WHAT: Google Digital Excellence Program
- WHEN: Friday, June 22 – Sunday, June 24, 2018
- WHERE: Ann Arbor, MI & Detroit, MI
