Supplier Diversity Program Participants Pitch Business Ideas to Humana Supplier Community

Participants of our Supplier Diversity Mentor-Protégé Program 2023 class had an opportunity to pitch business ideas during our 2nd annual Diversity Supplier Pitch Event, held on May 25, 2023 in Louisville, Ky. The event is an extension of the Protégé Program and provides program participants an opportunity to pitch ideas to Humana’s largest suppliers and to receive valuable feedback and potential business opportunities. 

Integral to our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, the Humana Supplier Diversity Mentor-Protégé Program supports and promotes the growth and development of businesses that reflect the diversity of our members, patients, employees and the communities we serve. Launched in 2019, the program’s goal is to overcome barriers that typically inhibit or restrict the success of diverse-owned small business enterprises by facilitating relationships with various Humana departments and external partners. 

Highlights from this year’s pitch event participants:

Kimberly L. Bunton, President, TKT & Associates, Inc.

TKT & Associates, a national diversity and workforce development firm, was established in 2006 to meet workforce needs for a large-scale bridge construction project. The company is now one of the fastest growing woman-owned and led companies according to The Women Presidents Organization’s 50 Fastest list. The group recently launched their creative services division, bringing together small and midsize diverse creative firms across the country to execute a wide array of creative and DEI-focused projects for company clients.  

Gabrielle Christman, President & CEO, Hunter International Recruiting/ STEMHUNTER

Also launched in 2006, Hunter International provides the rare combination of speed and quality in searches for top talent in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) candidates for client’s workforce needs. Applying a data-informed strategy has allowed Hunter International Recruiting to achieve speed and quality in job candidates and informed the decision to launch STEMHUNTER, a job search site and app specific to STEM jobs in 2022. Using research and data as a guide helps the company see the importance of investing in community through partnerships including Paradigm for Parity, Diversity Alliance for Science and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. 

Bernita McCann Hightower, President & CEO, Next Generation Fuel

Started as a wholesale distributor of fuels throughout United States and South Africa, NextGen has expanded to offer a wide range of commercial fuels, logistical, shipping and storage solutions for retail, commercial and wholesale clients. The company is now looking to the future by expanding their offerings into renewable energy sources and storage. Simultaneously, they are leading by example as they create ambitious internal targets to reduce their own carbon footprint to demonstrate best practices in change for current and future customers. 

Tommy Nolan, Managing Partner, COO, Vidionix 

Vidionix was founded in 2015, as a video, virtual and hybrid production company to create video content and produce live broadcasts. Today the company works with a wide range of national and international brands. When the pandemic hit in 2020, company owners feared that the need for their services would dry up, however, they quickly learned that the need for virtual and hybrid event production was at an all-time high and they were perfectly positioned to deliver. 

Alexandria Whittington, Associate, Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A.

Managing partner of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A., program participant Eric Boyer tossed the pitch opportunity to his colleague Alexandria Whittington, a resident of Louisville, Ky. Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A is the largest minority- and women-owned full-service law firm in the United States. Alexandria said that giving her the opportunity to present at the pitch event speaks to the firm’s focus on giving employees a platform to share their unique perspectives and insights which helps to drive innovation and adaptability so they can continuously meet the needs of their diverse client base. 

“Humana’s Mentor-Protégé Program and pitch event provided the perfect platform for TKT & Associates to gain exposure to many facets of Humana and opened more doors for the expansion of TKT’s services in other areas of Humana,” said Kimberly L. Bunton, President of TKT & Associates, Inc.

As we drive innovation and focus on improving quality and sustaining growth in the health care industry, we want our vendors and suppliers to reflect the communities we serve and to help advance our vision of a world where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This vision fuels our proactive relationships with diverse and small business enterprises as we learn and grow together. 

Learn more about our commitment to supplier diversity and approach to procurement practices that ensure an equitable investment and balance of partnerships with historically underutilized businesses.