2018 has already been a whirlwind for us here at Tactile.

I recently attended the Goldman Sachs 10KSB Alumni summit in Washington DC. On the first day, Representatives of 2,300 small business from across the country convened in our nation’s capital to listen to inspirational words from Michael Bloomberg, Tyler Perry, and Sir Richard Branson. I was one of only 24 business leaders selected to participate in small roundtable discussions with a variety of members of Congress, governors, and mayors. We discussed such topics as access to capital and the importance of CDFIs. Day two was the official Hill day where we had the opportunity to meet with the wonderful Sen. Bob Casey to talk about the challenges of small businesses. We even got to be in the same room to receive a lecture from the ever elusive Pat Toomey, who told us how very available he was at his Philadelphia office.

Then a few weeks ago, we had the very distinct honor of being selected by PECO as one of their Power 25. This Diverse Supplier Development Initiative seeks to equip select diversity certified suppliers with the tools and knowledge to attain their next level of business growth through on-going and meaningful one-on-one mentorship, educational workshops on business skills, safety policies, and hands on support of resources.

What do these two events have in common? Access. They have both provided us access. Access to decision makers, thought leaders, and other businesses that we would not otherwise have. Access to advice and education. Access that will be key to our continued growth.

Access is a doorway to opportunity. Sometimes it is completely open to anyone who knows it’s there, but more often than not, it is guarded by closed doors; impenetrable barriers to participation. Some of these doors are made of glass, others of reinforced steel, but these doors are always locked from the inside.

Doors like these need to be opened for us, or sometimes, kicked in.

Access to opportunity is crucial to the sustainability of any business. Access has historically been significantly more challenging for business owners and executives who are not cisgender, straight white men. These diverse businesses owners not only have to be exceptional at what they do, but must do so in the face of systematic oppression and individual prejudices. Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did but backwards and in heels. And don’t even get me started on the Nicholas Brothers...

Opportunity for diverse businesses comes in many forms. Many of us would kill to count a Fortune 100 company as a client. As many large corporations begin to embrace the documented benefit of diversity and inclusion to their level of innovation and bottom line, there becomes a business case and financial incentive for providing diverse business owners with the opportunity to bid on contracts.

There is also the opportunity for us to work with other diverse small businesses, whether by providing goods and services directly to each other, or by partnering to go after larger opportunities together. In my very non-scientific personal observation, we have been much more successful when the companies we partner with are also diverse. Perhaps having compatible cultures where empathy is valued helps with that...

For the promise of diverse business access to be realized, we also must break down the barriers that exist between our diverse business communities, and we must do it together.

“It is a standard of right-wing cynicism to encourage members of oppressed groups to act against each other, and so long as we are divided because of our particular identities we cannot join together in effective political action.” - Audre Lorde

Members of oppressed groups who have achieved access—those among us who are already at the table where decisions are made—must be strong advocates for other underrepresented groups. White lesbian women should be working with straight black men who should be going to bat for trans veterans who should be championing the disabled. The future of our country is multicultural, multiracial, and non binary. Existence is political. The presence of business diversity and inclusion is intersectional. We must all be instruments for prying open the door for anyone who is truly ready to walk through it.

That is why I’m really excited about playing a part in bringing together members of the African American & Black LGBT Business communities for the Intersections event this Thursday at the African American Museum of Philadelphia. This is an opportunity for members of these overlapping, underrepresented communities to come together socially, network, and turn up the volume on the conversation around increasing our collective access to opportunity.

Finally, to succeed in this very competitive world of business, diverse business owners need to use every tool in their arsenal. Access to opportunity is paramount, but we have to do exceptional work. Whether the door is opened for us or we make the opportunity ourselves, we have to be ready to walk through the door, perhaps backwards and in heels.