From 2015 to 2020, YPMO assisted Kuniklo Corporation, a company that specializes in diversity outreach for large projects, workforce development, and contract compliance, to provide meeting facilitation and graphic design services for ADOT’s Business Engagement and Compliance (BECO) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program.

Anne Thompson’s many years of experience working for and with professional services companies was a key reason for why we were assigned to assist DBE firms that provide professional services that were interested in obtaining ADOT project work. Work included coordinating with BECO staff, meeting with and discussing small business concerns with task force chairs, sub-committee chairs and firm owners, preparing for and facilitating quarterly meetings at ADOT, taking minutes during the meetings, and coordinating with meeting speakers.

YPMO facilitated several workshops where prime engineering firms could resolve issues and improve working relationships with DBEs. We also created templates for presentations, educational factsheets, and brochures about the DBE Program, and created graphics that were incorporated into those materials.

YPMO applied for and became certified DBE and SBE in 2010 and we continue to be certified under these programs. As a percentage of their contract requirements, contractors working on City of Phoenix street construction projects utilize us as a SBE for public information services.

While assisting on this program, Anne learned quite a bit about ADOT’s DBE opportunities over those years and thought YPMO staff were prepared for the “big kahuna” — if a project presented itself. We did come close in 2021 when we were included on the team that came in second place for the infamous Broadway Curve project. But we’re pretty sure by not winning that one project, we were able to pursue and win many more projects!