Following the guilty verdict against former police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia announced a collaboration to encourage diversity for larger companies in the region by using more Black and brown-led suppliers, writes Taylor Allen for whyy.org.

The hope is the new collaboration will help undo racial inequalities in the region’s economy by changing how businesses do business.

The Diverse Procurement Collaborative commits 100 of the region’s largest employers, including Delaware County-based companies like Wawa and SAP, as well as SEPTA and the Philadelphia International Airport to increase diversity in their contracting networks.

“The Chamber believes that we can’t truly create a strong, equitable economic recovery without a commitment to those Black and brown businesses,” Susan Jacobson, the board chair, said.

The participating companies agreed to share best practices and resources for increasing supplier diversity over the next two years.

Participating companies will do a baseline assessment to determine achievable goals.  An internal database will keep track of progress.

The companies will also participate in six meetings over the two years to share best practices.  The first is June 22.

Read more at whyy.org about regional businesses opting to diversify.