In today’s business environment, small and diverse supplier initiatives empower businesses by offering training, resources and opportunities through strategic partnerships. These programs expand the supplier pool and drive innovation, while also fostering customer loyalty. By supporting underrepresented groups, they help businesses grow and strengthen their market presence.
One such initiative is the Accelerate program, which stands out for its ability to foster both agility and strategic relationships. The core idea is simple: Connect companies with experienced mentors and provide the resources needed to scale. This helps businesses grow smarter by refining services, rethinking strategies and finding new expansion opportunities.
What’s particularly noteworthy is the emphasis on strategic partnerships. It goes beyond networking for growth; it's about building enduring relationships that foster trust and credibility. These connections often become the backbone of a company's long-term strategy — fueling not only short-term wins, but sustained success in the market.
Michael Cabrera, founder and president of MJC Strategic Consulting LLC, emphasized how this strategy has been a key factor in his company’s success. MJC Strategic Consulting LLC specializes in utility consulting, business strategy, relationship management, business development, community engagement and supplier diversity. Through the Accelerate program, offered by Burns & McDonnell, Cabrera’s firm not only experienced immediate growth but also reimagined its services and accessed new opportunities, particularly in the evolving energy sector. Cabrera noted that initiatives like this are paving the way for businesses to become more adaptable, connected and prepared for long-term success.
Michael Cabrera: The program offered a unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders, learn from specialists and refine our competitive edge. What drew us in was the program's focus on mentorship, raising our profile and providing tools to scale businesses like ours. We saw it as an opportunity not just to learn, but to make meaningful, strategic connections that would propel our company forward.
MC: One of the most significant takeaways was the need for agility — being able to quickly adapt to a constantly evolving business landscape. The program provided us with actionable insights, especially around refining our service offerings to better meet our clients’ needs. It wasn’t just theoretical learning; we gained practical strategies that we’ve already started implementing in our day-to-day operations.
Beyond that, the program reinforced the importance of client service and long-term value creation. We’re now more focused than ever on offering customized solutions that align with our clients’ goals and provide sustainable results.
MC: In today’s business world, these kinds of networks are critical. They build trust, establish credibility and foster partnerships that lead to long-term growth. Our success is a direct result of the relationships we built during the program. Networking is more than just meeting people — it's about creating strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with Burns & McDonnell in this spirit.
MC: We’re committed to integrating the skills and lessons learned into our ongoing business strategies. The insights we gained are helping us refine our client service approach, focusing on delivering customized solutions and long-term value. We’re also staying in touch with the network we built, looking for continued collaboration opportunities.
As for the future, we have several exciting projects lined up in the electrical utility and generation sectors. The energy industry is evolving, and we’re proud to be part of this transformation. Our goal is to continue playing a vital role in this transition while growing MJC into a thought leader in the industry. One of our biggest challenges now is expanding our capacity to meet demand, and we’re confident that the tools and connections from Accelerate will help us overcome that.
This post is part of Together By Design, a business diversity newsletter published by Burns & McDonnell to advance a community of inclusion. This newsletter features stories of great opportunity, leaders who bring out the best in others, innovative approaches, and diverse perspectives that shape the business community and the world at large.