Our Story
How we were founded and where we're headed
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About The Council
The Council, known for nearly 50 years as CVMSDC, the Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council, was founded on a straightforward premise: small business owners deserve access to the same corporate opportunities as everyone else. That premise still drives everything we do.
Who We Are
The Council, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council (CVMSDC), is a regional affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), one of 23 regional organizations across the country. We serve small businesses and corporate partners across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Our work has four pillars: certification, development, connection, and advocacy. Each one builds on the others. Together, they give small businesses the tools, relationships, and platform to grow.
Our Name
For nearly 50 years, we operated as CVMSDC, the Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council. We're now doing business as The Council to better reflect the full breadth of small businesses we serve. Our mission, our team, and our nearly 50-year track record haven't changed. Only our name has.
Brand Voice
Our team includes former corporate executives who've made sourcing decisions at major companies, and practitioners who've helped entrepreneurs grow from startup to scale. When we tell a minority business owner what a procurement director is looking for, we know, because our experienced team members have previously served in those roles.
That experience is the difference between advice and insight.
Explore
How we were founded and where we're headed
The people who make it happen
The results we've produced across our region
How we fight for small businesses behind the scenes