CU Grow Hosts Second Procurement Event of 2022

July 06, 2022

The CU Grow Vendor Development program hosted its first in-person procurement event since the beginning of the pandemic at The Forum at Columbia on June 9. Also available live on Zoom for participants who could not attend in person, the event brought together CU Grow’s current cohort of 21 minority-women- and locally owned (MWL) firms with program alumni, Columbia project managers, and CU Grow partner organizations for a networking event to learn about upcoming business opportunities and gain valuable resources to continue growing their businesses.  

Santia Valerio, project manager (Capital Project Management), presented on upcoming bidding opportunities at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Other presenters included CU Grow program partner Jason Levine, Chief Estimator from OmniBuild, a construction firm specializing in developing hospitality, residential, and educational buildings, and Amir Zahlan, co-founder of Tough Leaf, a procurement company that helps connect general contractors to new projects.  

The event concluded with the in-person participants networking with presenters, allowing them to ask questions to better to align their business capabilities for available contracting opportunities.  

The recruitment for CU Grow’s 7th cohort will begin in Fall 2022. Visit cugrow.columbia.edu for more information about the program, and if you are interested in joining our email list to learn more about the program application process, please complete the interest form