5Q: Kimberly Silvestri

 / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
/ PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

1 In December, BOND, in partnership with the Center for Women & Enterprise, announced BOND-PLX – an educational learning exchange for minority and women business owners to learn about the construction industry. What was the catalyst for the move?

We’ve received consistent feedback from our clients regarding the need to engage more effectively with the minority-business-enterprise and women-business-enterprise contractor community. This has been a challenge in Rhode Island. We believe that working with the MBE/WBE community will help them develop their ability to meet basic requirements, such as safety, risk management and reporting and will help the entire industry become more diverse.

2 Why did BOND choose to focus on minority and women business owners?

This is an area where we can make a difference and offer the MBE/WBE community a real competitive advantage. The professional learning exchange is going to help small, traditionally disadvantaged businesses in Rhode Island develop, grow and have an impact on their spheres of influence.

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3 Prior to establishing the exchange, did the company perceive a gap in the industry or a lack of minorities and women in leadership positions within the local construction industry?

Absolutely. When I started my career, I was the only woman in most of my college classes. Definite progress has been made over the years, but there is still a lot that can be done to encourage professional growth for women and minorities in our industry.

4 What role does the Center for Women & Enterprise play?

The Center for Women & Enterprise has been a fantastic partner in launching the PLX. They have a proven business-management program and the exchange combines that core learning with the important components of running a construction-related business.

5 What programming is included in the BOND-PLX curriculum?

Both BOND and the Center for Women & Enterprise took a thoughtful approach in developing the courses. … We want to make sure we’re offering something of value that can be put to immediate use. The end result is a great mix of practical construction and business-education classes. Topics range from construction administrative tasks, safety best practices and general business operational procedures. •

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