Hundreds of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) leaders, business owners, advocates, and policymakers converged on the state capital Friday morning to demand full enforcement of Article 15-A, the law designed to ensure equity, access, and opportunity for minority- and women-owned businesses across New York State.
The advocacy gathering, held on the third floor terrace of the Legislative Office Building beginning at 10:00 a.m., brought together stakeholders from across the state in a unified call for stronger oversight, fairer contracting practices, and what organizers described as “the economic justice our communities deserve.”
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Senator James Sanders Jr. stood alongside major MWBE stakeholders to amplify demands for meaningful reform and accountability in how the state administers contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned enterprises.
“This is about more than contracts, this is about equity, opportunity, and ensuring that the promise of Article 15-A becomes reality for businesses that have been historically excluded from economic opportunity,” said one advocate at the noon press conference that followed the morning’s activities.
The event served as a critical platform for direct engagement between lawmakers and those most impacted by MWBE policies, including small business owners, entrepreneurs, and advocacy organizations who shared firsthand accounts of the barriers they continue to face despite existing legal protections.
Participants used the day to advocate for both the extension and expansion of MWBE programs statewide, with discussions centered on how these initiatives can be improved to better position minority- and women-owned businesses for growth and long-term success.
The gathering fostered meaningful dialogue on systemic challenges within state contracting processes, with business owners presenting specific recommendations for policy improvements and enforcement mechanisms that would ensure compliance with Article 15-A’s intent.
Organizers characterized Friday’s advocacy day as a critical moment of collaboration and action, bringing together voices that have long pushed for substantive change in how New York State supports economic equity through its procurement and contracting systems.
The coalition of advocates made clear that their work extends beyond this single day, with plans to continue pressing lawmakers for accountability, transparency, and measurable progress in MWBEÂ program implementation and enforcement.
