Last month, Kaiser Permanente held its Supplier Diversity Summit at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health in Washington, DC. This event brought together 64 individuals including those from diverse businesses, business support organizations, and Kaiser Permanente procurement professionals. The event offered practical resources and valuable connections to the DC area’s diverse business community.
A key component of the summit provided technical assistance provided to 52 businesses in attendance. Tommy Smith, senior manager, Economic Impact, led a session titled “How to Do Business with Kaiser Permanente,” where he walked participants through the company’s procurement process, shared upcoming opportunities in the region, and offered practical tips for vendors looking to work with Kaiser Permanente. All 98 registered suppliers, representing 75 different companies, received helpful materials after the event to guide them through the process.
The event also offered attendees access to nine important procurement and technical assistance resources. Businesses connected with representatives from Kaiser Permanente’s Impact Spending, Facilities Design & Construction, and Business Solutions – Small Group Sales. Other participants included Kaiser Permanente’s Construction Prime Suppliers, the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD), and two Kaiser Permanente grantees focused on Diverse Business Growth—the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED) and the Greater Washington Partnership (GWP).
“We’re truly grateful to Kaiser Permanente for organizing and supporting this event, which marked the unofficial recruitment launch for Next Level, our accelerator supporting small and diverse-owned businesses,” said Hannah Burke, Inclusive Economic Growth Senior Associate at the Greater Washington Partnership. “It was a great start to see so many businesses expressing interest in our Kaiser Permanente-funded program, and we hope that many of them apply to be a part of the program in 2025!”
In addition to valuable information and networking opportunities, the event also supported local, minority-owned businesses. DC-based, minority-owned Metro Catering and Concessions provided the event’s catering, while Streetz Media, another DC-based, minority-owned business, photographed the event. Branded pop-up banners and tablecloths were supplied by Art & Negative, a woman-owned business from Maryland, and branded giveaways were fulfilled by Diversity Press, a minority-owned company through Kaiser Permanente’s Brand Store.
The DC Supplier Diversity Summit demonstrated how businesses, government, and organizations like Kaiser Permanente can work together to create opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Participating businesses gained insight into working with Kaiser Permanente, built connections with key resources, and learned about growth opportunities.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.7 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.
