According to the 2019 Annual Business Survey (ABS), approximately 18.3% (1.0 million) of all U.S. businesses were minority-owned and about 19.9% (1.1 million) of all businesses were owned by women. While these numbers have been on the rise in recent years, there is still room for improvement. This is one of the reasons we created the Goodfinds by Gordon program—to champion, celebrate, and continue to advocate for those who make a difference in our industry yet may not receive the same level of prominence or exposure.
As stated in the Harvard Business Journal article Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough with the Business Case by Robin J. Ely and David A. Thomas, “The business case is clear: When women are at the table, the discussion is richer, the decision-making process is better, and the organization is stronger.” The same goes for food service. When woman-owned and diverse businesses’ products are utilized on menus, customers respond.
There are all kinds of minority- and women-owned companies that are doing good for the world. Our partner Patch Organics is a company that makes milk out of pumpkin seeds to help ease the environmental impact of other nut-based milks. Another partner, Renewal Mill, creates baking ingredients from upcycled food waste to help fight global hunger and food loss. Our partner Luv the Grub, is a Canadian company that makes spreads and chutneys out of fruits and vegetables that have been rejected purely for cosmetic reasons—helping mitigate food waste. Luv the Grub also employs newcomer refugee youth to help get them on their feet and give them a stable income in order to help them establish roots in Canada.
When you buy from the companies included in the Goodfinds by Gordon program, you’re doing more good than you think. You’re building up communities, highlighting a wide range of business owners, creating jobs and opportunities, helping close the racial wealth gap, and inspiring others to do the same. To learn more about the companies included within the program and their stories, contact your sales rep or read more gfs.com/goodfinds.
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