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Episode 69: Crowd Favorite: Making Business Sense with Supplier Diversity: Insights with Jean Kristensen

July 15, 2024

Crowd Favorite: Making Business Sense with Supplier Diversity: Insights with Jean Kristensen

“Part of my journey is making sure that, you know, local communities and minority and women owned businesses understand about the various opportunities that are available through government agencies or large corporations.”

– Jean Kristensen

Welcome back to the Cash Flow CFO Podcast! This episode was so popular with our listeners that we are rebroadcasting it in case anyone missed it the first time. In it, I interview Jean Kristensen, the CEO and chief consultant at JKA Solutions. Jean connects women and minority businesses with government and large corporate entities seeking diversity in their contracts. Previously, Jean experienced firsthand the struggles and successes that come with rapidly scaling a family business built from scratch.

Join us to learn the whole story!

“There are so many of these partnerships happening right now where non-minority firms, non-diverse firms, large companies, are looking to gain access to market share that is earmarked for small businesses.”

– Jean Kristensen

Transformative Leadership and Impactful Change

Under Jean’s leadership at JKA Solutions, a dedication to empowering businesses through supplier diversity, outreach, consulting, and training is evident. Her personal success story of transforming a family-run security guard company into a thriving enterprise showcases the transformative power of supplier diversity. Others have taken note of Jean, who’s found herself included among New York’s MWBE Power 50, and named as one of the “Top Women to Watch in Real Estate.”

Exploring Opportunities

Andrea learns about Jean’s unique career path, from the family’s security guard company to becoming a leading figure in supplier diversity. Jean shares challenges and triumphs, offering insights into the vast landscape of opportunities for women and minority-owned businesses. The conversation delves into government contracts, corporate initiatives, and upcoming investments in diversity expected from the public and private sectors.

Business Growth with a Social Purpose: Actionable Insights

In the final segment, Andrea and Jean discuss steps for businesses looking to scale and tap into diversity-seeking opportunities. Jean emphasizes the need for intentional planning, financial health, and strategic partnerships. Andrea and Jean both note the importance of well-structured financial foundations and the role of organizations like The Cash Flow CFO, which guide businesses toward sustainable growth.

“…I don’t want to make it sound perfect, I don’t want to make it sound easy, but we were able to gain access to many lucrative government contracts and many contracts in the private sector that propelled us from a small family run business to one of the largest companies, largest minority women owned security companies at the time…”

– Jean Kristensen

Want to get in touch with Jean Kristensen?

Website: https://jkasolutions.com/