100 Philly companies — including Comcast and Wawa — vow to diversify supply chains

Just hours before a jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia launched a new collaboration that aims to undo racial inequalities that pervade the region’s economy by changing how businesses do business.

Designed to encourage large companies to use more Black and brown-led suppliers, the Diverse Procurement Collaborative commits 100 of the region’s largest employers including the University of Pennsylvania, Comcast, and Wawa to increase the diversity of their contracting networks.

“The Chamber believes that we can’t truly create a strong, equitable economic recovery without a commitment to those Black and brown businesses,” Susan Jacobson, the board chair, said during a press conference Tuesday morning.