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Diversity in STE A M www.diversityinsteam.com
Supplier Diversity
D
aleele Alison likes to help others stop wasting time doing tasks that don't provide direct value to their clients. He is a technology professional, entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of RooksDM, a technology consulting group that helps alleviate pain points for small to midsize companies by using the right technology. Alison has worked as a consultant, business analyst and project manager for Fortune 500 companies to SMBs. Diversity in STEAM Magazine ( DISM ) spoke with Alison about his company, the role diversity plays in tech and more on his participation in National Minority Supplier Development Council's (NMSDC) Emerging Young Entrepreneurs cohort.
DISM : What have you seen businesses struggle with the most when it comes to their technology? How does RooksDM help them? Daleele Alison (DA
)
:
From our perspective, businesses are excited about adopting new technology. However, when businesses rapidly implement new technology to fix a singular problem, this often becomes a band-aid solution and can lead to a different
TORI SOPER PHOTOGRAPHY
Taking on Diversity in Tech with Daleele Alison
set of challenges. Many businesses end up with a large number of tech tools that become overwhelming to manage and lead to low user adoption. It's important for busi- nesses to take a step back and be strate- gic. /At RooksDM, we ask the right questions about technology and processes and dig deep into the core pain points. Rather than simply throwing technology at a problem, we take a holistic approach. Our goal is to implement technology that works together and sets a foundation for scalable growth. /
DISM : Do you feel there is diversity within the IT/tech sectors? Why or why not? DA:
We have seen progress in diversity within the tech industry. Organizations with targeted initiatives to increase diversity have definitely started to move the needle. It's exciting to see a shiftin the industry, however, there is still a long way to go. It continues to be a challenge for diverse vendors to break into large enterprise cor- porations. I'm hopeful that through tracking and monitoring vendor diversity, we will see even greater progress in supporting minori- ies in tech. /
DISM : Why was it important for you to participate in NMSDC's Emerging Young Entrepreneurs cohort? What have you learned thus far that is applicable to your own business? DA:
The NMSDCs Emerging Young Entre- preneurs cohort has been an important way for us to learn and network. Through this initiative, we have been able to connect with like-minded colleagues, which has led to advice and potential business growth. The sessions have been invaluable and have expanded my thoughts around marketing, inance and strategy. We are truly grateful to be a part of this community and are looking forward to more opportunities in the future.
DISM : How has being MBE certified through NMSDC leveraged your businesss success? DA:
Being MBE certified through NMSDC has given RooksDM access to a much larger community of like-minded businesses. We now have exposure to larger organizations to build our business. We have also built relationships with fellow minority-owned businesses. It has been so valuable to learn from each other and share stories and resources that support business growth. /We are also proud to share our certification with current and prospective clients. This certification provides us with additional credibility that supports our conversations with potential clients. /
DISM : What advice would you give another minority-owned entrepreneur or business owner just ge@ing started? DA:
My advice to fellow minority owners is to be intentional about how you spend your ime. It's easy to focus on initiatives that don't matter or that won't make an impact. It is critical to have the right people in your network to lean on so you can spend your ime where it matters most. For us, spend- ing time building relationships has been a game changer, not just in nurturing pros- pects but also in strengthening relationships within our industry. Leaning on others in the industry for support and expertise has not only led to referrals but been helpful to our overall growth. /
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