Ingrid M. Robinson is the President of the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC). HMSDC is a business development organization designed to actively involve its members, both minority business enterprises and major corporations in efforts to increase and expand business opportunities and business growth for Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) while driving excellence in supplier diversity and supplier development. She serves on the City of Houston Women and Minority-Owned Business Task Force, the Port Houston Small Business Advisory Council and is actively involved in the National Association of Women MBA’s. Ingrid received a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from the University of Houston and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Rice University. She has two children John-Anthony and Sydni.
Jewel Smith, former Supplier Diversity Manager with CenterPoint Energy, is a recognized and accomplished supplier diversity professional experienced in developing premier supplier inclusion strategies and delivering exceptional outcomes. She led with expert knowledge in the intricacies of Supplier Diversity, program transformation, compliance, economic impact, and return on investment. Her career with CenterPoint Energy spanned 40 years and was a fertile environment that cultivated her passionate, high energy, and collaborative approach to solving mission critical objectives.
Karen Hudson, METRO's Deputy Chief Procurement and DBE Liaison Officer, is committed to the success of the SBE/DBE business community and METRO's Procurement and Small Business Programs. She has a combined 24 years' experience in procurement and SBE/DBE Programs. Karen works closely with community organizations and agency partners to promote business development and contracting opportunities for SBE/DBEs. Through her leadership, METRO continues to exceed its Small Business goals and aggressively pursues SBE/DBE participation on every solicitation. Karen believes that contracts are like pies and everyone should have an opportunity to have a slice.