Isobar Public Sector Launches Minority-Owned Business Incubator
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Washington, DC, September 2021 – Isobar Public Sector, a dentsu company, announced today the launch of a new minority-owned business incubator with Maryland-based firms. The goal of the partnership is to provide black-owned, 8a and minority-owned small businesses with technical support and resources to accelerate their operations, growth and go-to-market efforts in the public sector.
The program is part of Isobar Public Sector / Merkle and dentsu’s Economic Empowerment initiative. The firm has partnered with Maryland Black Businesses Matter organization, founded by Gregory Holmes, to identify black businesses currently working with U.S. federal, state and local governments. Following an initial matchmaking session, participating firms determine the type and level of support required. This may include business development, capacity building, proposal support, marketing efforts and/or administrative support.
“With this program, our goal is to make a difference for these firms and collectively improve not only their bottom line but also the careers and opportunities for both existing and prospective employees,” said Larry Gillespie, President, Isobar Public Sector. “Although we’ve just started, I’ve been amazed at the talent and creativity of all the firms. We are extremely fortunate to be working with Gregory, who brings a ton of passion and energy to the growth of black businesses in Maryland. This isn’t a typical mentor-protégé arrangement but a true collaboration. In fact, I find that it’s the larger firms in the relationship, like Isobar, that often learn the most.”
Collectively, the companies share a common focus and mission in delivering digital transformation, IT modernization and program management for government agencies. The collaboration often includes support of business development activities, proposals, white paper development and other activities. These efforts are supported by dentsu’s Global Technology Alliance partners, including Qualtrics, Salesforce, Adobe, Amazon, Google Global Technology practice and others.
Gregory launched the Maryland Black Businesses Matter organization to help elevate the voice of black-owned businesses and to increase political and policy engagement that advances a new focus on black economics in Maryland. “This is an exciting time for black businesses. As we continue to recover from the pandemic equity of opportunity and partnerships have never been more important to the success of black business. The partnership with Isobar Public Sector/Merkle will offer a dynamic and strategic way for black businesses to leverage their federal, state and local networks with Isobar/Merkle’s infrastructure for success,” said Gregory Holmes.
"One of the critical tenets of Merkle's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program is to positively impact the clients we serve and the communities in which we do business, with a goal to intentionally advance supplier diversity initiatives with historically underrepresented groups,” said Kirt Morris, global chief equity officer, Merkle/CXM. “Merkle’s partnership with Maryland Black Businesses Matter is the first of its kind and an investment in fulfilling our promise of advancing economic empowerment for underrepresented groups. We look forward to partnering closely with Gregory and the firms that are a part of the organization."
Participating firms include Orus Group, Erimax Inc, Sierra Management and Technologies, Booker DiMaio, River Falls Media, QED Inc, Varis Technology, Yona American Systems Group and others. These firms provide strategic support and technical services for the private sector and government departments covering defense and civilian agencies.
About Isobar Public Sector:
Isobar is an industry-leading digital agency that supports many of the world’s top brands and public sector organizations to modernize and evolve their businesses to digital. Consistently ranked as a leader by the research firm Gartner, the firm’s 5000+ workforce delivers transformative digital capabilities that include the development of cloud-native applications and migration of dozens of applications and data to cloud environments, secure mobility solutions and experience-led transformation programs that involve human-centered design and large technology transformations. Visit www.isobar.com
About Merkle:
Merkle is a leading data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The company’s heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive hyper-personalized marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in performance media, customer experience, customer relationship management, loyalty, and enterprise marketing technology drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With 12,000 employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 50+ additional offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Merkle is a dentsu company. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkleinc.com.
About dentsu:
Part of the dentsu group, dentsu is made up of six leadership brands - Carat, dentsuX, iProspect, Isobar, dentsumcgarrybowen, Merkle and supported by its specialist brands. dentsu helps clients to win, keep and grow their best customers and achieve meaningful progress for their businesses. With best-in-class services and solutions in media, CXM, and creative, dentsu operates in over 145 markets worldwide with more than 45,000 dedicated specialists. Visit www.dentsu.com
Press Contact:
Jennifer Ferguson
Chief Communications Officer, dentsu Americas