THE ONLY MWBE CONFERENCE IN THE BUFFALO NIAGARA REGION IS READY TO IMPACT FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS
The Buffalo Niagara MWBE Conference Stands Out As The Only One In The Region
(Buffalo, New York | September 2025) On October 21, 2025, 216 minority, women and veteran small business owners joined by the companies they do business with will gather in downtown Buffalo, New York for THE 2ND ANNUAL BUFFALO NIAGARA MWBE TRAINING DAY CONFERENCE. This years’ theme is – The Government Buys Everything. Why Aren’t They Buying From You? The conference is designed to promote Economic Development within the Buffalo Niagara Region of New York and beyond, including Western New York, Finger Lakes, Central New York, and the Southern Tier. This year’s conference venue is 500 Pearl located at 512 Pearl St, Buffalo, NY 14202. Conference check-in and breakfast start at 8:00 am. Opening ceremony starts at 9:00 am for a full day which includes lunch, the conference concludes at 5:00 pm. Tickets and complete conference details are provided on the official website: www.themwbeconference.com.
The conference is redesigned to offer a series of intimate Fireside Chats with a panel of Industry Leaders and Government Officials in Construction Development, Wealth Building and Economic Development in addition to several Engaging Classroom Style Training Sessions such as ‘How to Secure & Complete Government Contracts.’ The conference is highly informative and education-focused, catering specifically to MWBEs and small businesses seeking to enhance their operations, build capacity, gain financial literacy, and excel in government contracting, helping them elevate their businesses to the next level.
2025 Conference Founder, Talia Johnson-Huff explains, “For MWBE businesses, now is the time to come together, share what we know, and prepare for the changes ahead. This isn’t just about responding to change, but it’s more about positioning ourselves to lead in it, and lead with all the knowledge, resources, and partnerships that keep our businesses strong. We will navigate this, just how we've navigated everything else, with pride, creativity and unwavering faith.”
Unfortunately, MWBE businesses face substantial challenges in accessing capital and government contracts. For example, minority entrepreneurs are three times more likely to be denied loans than their non-minority counterparts, and women entrepreneurs receive only 16% of all traditional small business loans. Furthermore, minority-owned businesses receive less than 10% of federal procurement contracts, while women-owned businesses receive only about 5%. THE 2ND ANNUAL BUFFALO NIAGARA MWBE TRAINING DAY CONFERENCE and its supporting partners help bridge these gaps which enable MWBEs to thrive.