Diversity Business Recognized
In Minnesota

Diversity Business.com recently named Blackwell Igbanugo P.A. as one of the Top 50 Diversity-Owned Businesses and one of the Top 50 Small Businesses in Minnesota

(Minneapolis, Minnesota) In recognition of the economic power of multicultural businesses, DiversityBusiness.com, the nations’ leading multicultural internet site, recently named Blackwell Igbanugo P.A. as one of the top 50 diversity-owned businesses and one of the Top 50 Small Businesses in Minnesota.  (Div50.)

The Div50 is the 6th annual listing of Minnesota’s top 50 diversity-owned businesses and top 50 small businesses. Ranging in revenue size from $1,000,000 to over $110,000,000, the companies listed on the Div50 represent Minnesota’s top multicultural earners and challenge the long-held notion that a diversity-owned business is small or insignificant.  Div50 members are sought after by major corporations wishing to increase spending with diversity owned companies.

The Impact of Diversity Business
Major corporations wishing to increase market share realize it is no longer just “the right thing” to do business with diversity owned companies.  Affected by recent economic and demographic trends and changes, corporations throughout the country have recognized that buying products and services from diversity-owned companies positively impacts their business. Diversity-owned businesses contribute over $1.4 trillion in sales to the U.S. economy.

"Diversity businesses and consumers are a growing force in the U.S. economy, and a force to be reckoned with,” said Kenton Clarke, CEO of Computer Consulting Associates International, the company that built DiversityBusiness.com.  “It’s no longer only about the Fortune 1000. This is a whole business segment that can carry its own, that provides jobs, products and services, and generates wealth for their communities.  These are the new leaders in American business"

"Diversity is today what it always has been – a leadership issue.  Our diversity here is a way of life,” said Jerry W. Blackwell, Blackwell Igbanugo P.A.’s President and one of its founders.

The Div50
The Div50 is a classification that represents the top 50 diversity-owned (women, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Indian and other minority groups) businesses and the top 50 small businesses in Minnesota, in sectors such as technology, manufacturing, food service and professional services.  Large organizational buyers throughout the country that do business with multicultural and women-owned businesses use the list. The Div50 is produced annually by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural B2B Internet portal that links large organizational buyers to multicultural product and service suppliers.

"The Div50 companies are the heroes of diversity-owned business in America,” said Kenton Clarke.  “While Fortune magazine lists the best companies for minorities to work for, we list the top businesses owned by minorities. These are the people that have conquered the hurdles and made the sacrifices, building and strengthening their communities, providing jobs and helping to keep the fabric of the U.S. economy together."

For the complete list of winning companies, please visit:
www.diversitybusiness.com

About Blackwell Igbanugo P.A.
Founded in May 2000, Blackwell Igbanugo P.A. provides complex litigation and corporate services to Fortune 500 clients.  With offices in Troy, Michigan, and Washington, D.C., Blackwell Igbanugo P.A. has become the nation's largest institutional law firm founded and owned by African-American attorneys.  At Blackwell Igbanugo P.A., diversity is a way of life. More than one-half of their lawyers are women and nearly half are lawyers of color. Drawing upon their varied talents and experiences has far-ranging and significant benefits for the firm and its clients.  Blackwell Igbanugo P.A. attorneys have handled matters in all 50 states, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Institutional clients thrive in a multicultural world.  Blackwell Igbanugo P.A. offers them excellence in a multicultural firm.

About DiversityBusiness.com
Launched in 1999, with over 30,000 members DiversityBusiness.com is the largest organization of diversity-owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies and colleges and universities. Members use the sites technology to find and track new business opportunities.  It also produces the country’s largest conference on diversity education and training for major corporations and small businesses.  Its research on top businesses appears in Fortune, Forbes and numerous magazines and media publications.  The site has gained national recognition and has won numerous awards for its content and design. DiversityBusiness.com is produced by Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAii.com) of Southport, CT. CCA was founded in 1980 by CEO Kenton Clarke.