Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council

The ConnectingOHIO's Business Expo is built to create more than booth traffic. It is built to create new leads, relationships, and business opportunity.

On July 21, exhibitors will have three focused hours to showcase their capabilities inside the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. This year, OMSDC is also recruiting businesses and professionals from across Greater Cincinnati to walk the expo floor, bringing new potential customers, partners, and referral sources beyond our typical network.

Twenty-six booths have already been sold, and only a few remain. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to:

• Meet corporate, public-sector, and minority business leaders
• Connect with new visitors from the Greater Cincinnati business community
• Increase visibility for their products, services, and capabilities
• Build relationships that can continue after the event

The setting makes this year’s expo even more distinctive. Exhibitors and attendees will connect across multiple areas of one of Cincinnati’s most meaningful and memorable venues.

Reserve your booth or register to attend:
https://zurl.co/9ARMA

Early-bird pricing ends July 2. Registration closes July 9.

Your next business opportunity may not start with an RFP. It starts with a conversation. ConnectingOHIO 2026 is bringing corporate partners, certified MBEs, public-sector leaders, and supplier inclusion professionals together for two days of relationship-building and business activity.

***Corporate sponsors include Honda, P&G, Fifth Third Bank, Kroger, Duke Energy, UNICON International, and other major organizations across Ohio.***

The event will also bring together established minority businesses from across industries, creating opportunities for partnerships, referrals, and supplier-to-supplier relationships.

Day 1 helps you build the relationships.

Day 2 gives you opportunities to increase your visibility, hear directly from buyers, strengthen your business, and take part in more focused conversations.

July 20–21 | Cincinnati
Registration closes July 9. Register: https://zurl.co/pI5FJ

OMSDC-certified MBEs now get 15% off Ellifly - an AI-powered platform that helps you define your brand voice and turn it into consistent content.

Built by a certified MBE, mekkadon_ and made for businesses like yours.

🔗 ellifly.com/omsdc

Your brand voice matters. And now there's an easier way to find it.

We've partnered with Ellifly — an OMSDC-certified MBE by mekkadon_ — to give our members 15% off their AI-powered brand and content platform.

ELLIFLY helps small businesses define their brand voice, create consistent content, and show up like the professionals they are. No agency required.

This is what the MBE ecosystem looks like when it's working: one certified minority business building tools that help others grow.

🔗 ellifly.com/omsdc

Clear messaging can be the difference between being remembered and being overlooked.

At ConnectingOHIO 2026, one of our Impact Labs will help minority businesses use AI to clarify their brand, strengthen their value proposition, and create more consistent messaging across introductions, social media, capability statements, and marketing materials.

Leveraging AI to Better Communicate and Build Your Brand, July 21
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center | Cincinnati

This is one of at least three practical Impact Labs we’ll feature at ConnectingOHIO. Each session is designed to help businesses leave with tools they can actually use, not just ideas to think about later.

This session will also include a brief introduction to OMSDC’s partnership with ELLIFLY for discounted AI-assisted social media support.

Learn more about ConnectingOHIO: https://omsdcevents.com/

In observance of Memorial Day, OMSDC will be closed as we pause to honor those who gave their lives in service to our country.

This day is a reminder that history is carried forward by people who sacrifice for something beyond themselves. Their courage, service, and legacy continue to shape the freedoms and opportunities we work to protect and strengthen.

We wish everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

OMSDC will resume operations Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 9:00 AM EDT.

Congratulations to Pei-Chen Jane Lee, President & CEO of UNICON International, on being honored by WBEC ORV as part of its inaugural Women of Distinction class.

This recognition celebrates women business owners whose leadership, innovation, and impact are helping strengthen industries, communities, and the supplier inclusion ecosystem.

Jane’s story is a powerful example of what long-term excellence looks like. Since founding UNICON in 1990, she has built a trusted workforce, IT solutions, and managed services firm with a track record rooted in performance, resilience, and relationships.

We’re proud to celebrate Jane, UNICON, and this well-earned recognition.

Read more about Jane’s journey and UNICON’s 35-year legacy: https://ohiomsdc.org/2026/05/thirty-five-years-of-proving-whats-possible-how-unicons-jane-lee-turned-a-two-year-leave-into-a-legacy/

ConnectingOHIO 2026 starts at Topgolf West Chester.

Join us July 20 for an evening of connection, conversation, and relationship-building with minority business leaders, corporate procurement teams, public-sector partners, and community organizations from across Ohio.

Day 1 is designed to make networking easier before the full Day 2 experience at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Learn more, purchase tickets, or join our newsletter:
https://omsdcevents.com/

ConnectingOHIO 2026 kicks off with a day built for real connection.

On July 20, we’re bringing minority business leaders, corporate procurement teams, public-sector partners, and ecosystem organizations together at Topgolf West Chester for Day 1 of ConnectingOHIO.

This is the relationship-building side of the event. Less formal. More conversational. Designed to help attendees meet the right people before Day 2 programming begins at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Whether you’re a business leader looking to build relationships with new customers, a corporate partner looking to connect with qualified suppliers, or a community leader looking to strengthen Ohio’s business ecosystem, Day 1 is where the momentum starts.

Learn more about ConnectingOHIO, purchase tickets, or join our newsletter: https://omsdcevents.com

Sponsorships are open for ConnectingOHIO 2026.

This is a strong fit for organizations that want a clearer line from sponsorship to sourcing conversations, buyer access, visibility, and pipeline-building.

ConnectingOHIO brings together minority business leaders, corporate procurement teams, public-sector partners, and ecosystem organizations for two days built around real business activity.

This year includes:

Day 1 networking at Topgolf West Chester, and n evening Welcome Reception at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Day 2 programming at the Freedom Center, including the Business Expo, Impact Labs, and DealMaker + MatchDesk meetings

The first 10 sponsors at Copper level or higher receive a complimentary expo booth.

If your organization wants to show up where relationships turn into opportunity, let’s talk.

View the sponsorship guide: https://zurl.co/pXCmF
Contact James Price: [email protected]