Proximo

What a time we had at ASAE The Center for Association Leadership's 2024 Annual Meeting in Cleveland!
Nelly kicked things off with a bang, and Cleveland showed out all week long! It was great to see some familiar faces and meet scores of new ones.

The Success Crew was decked out in our concert t-shirts and the Success Fest at Southern Tier Brewery was a phenomenal time. We hope everyone enjoyed the cash prize drawings at the Analytics booth, and if you didn’t win, there’s always next year!

We are already ready to go to Los Angeles for 2025 and are looking forward to continuing to provide intelligent information through our , and services to all year long.

Proximo is excited to be in attendance at to the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Cleveland from August 10th to August 13th! ASAE’s Conference is a keystone event for us, and has been a source of many great clients and connections.

We will be exhibiting Sunday and Monday (8/11 & 8/12) in the Expo Hall at booth 532 as part of a group of technology firms called the "Success Crew".

Our group will be all decked out in Concert T-Shirts and we are putting on a raffle for ONE $5,000 cash prize and FIVE $1,000 cash prizes. All you need to do is stop by our booth and grab a "concert ticket" which serves as your entry. Get it stamped by us and 11 of the other 25 vendors and you are entered to win. More details can be found on the ticket once you receive it on Sunday the 11th!

We are also hosting a Happy Hour party on Sunday the 11th, open to all attendees! All you need is your conference badge to attend -- no entry fee whatsoever! Free drinks and appetizers will be had, and live music will be playing, provided by the Billy Morris Group. This will be at Southern Tier Brewing Company, a short walk & drive from the Convention Center. Please RSVP at the link below as it promises to be a blast, and we'd love to see you there!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/success-crews-annual-happy-hour-party-2024-tickets-933744182987?aff=prox

data analytics datastrategy dataregistries

The NGLCC - The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce's Conference is this week and is sure to be a blast. In the spirit of NGLCC, Proximo wants to focus on another one of our esteemed partners, Bill Ho**er, and his firm, SourceOne Innovations, Inc., an Business Enterprise.

Bill and Proximo’s partnership began when Bill transitioned into private practice and co-led the creation of supplier diversity programs for clients. In search of a company to complete his programming, he discovered Proximo. As he continued to learn about Proximo’s services, they quickly became a preferred supplier, and “the rest is history”. Today, Bill and David are co-founders of Supplier Diversity in a Box (SDiaB).

Bill has worked on numerous successful projects with Proximo, but if he had to choose the creation of SDiaB stands out as the most productive. He also eagerly anticipates the soon-to-be-announced offering, "The Diversity Edge!", which continues the collaboration with Certify My Company and now includes Diversitas.

When asked why he partners with Proximo, Bill emphasizes the seamless collaboration he enjoys with David, but also acknowledges the contributions of Lindsay Burger, Dominic Gassman, and other members of the Proximo team.

Bill takes great pride in SourceOne’s achievements, and believes the work done by SourceOne emphasizes a commitment to innovation and excellence in .

Looking ahead, Bill envisions SourceOne continuing to grow and providing services to marginalized communities. He aims to meet his customers where they are today and help them achieve their goals, which is what sets SourceOne apart from the competition.

Bill’s passion for learning and having fun drives his professional and personal pursuits. He enjoys exploring new subjects and skills, which fuels his enthusiasm for his work.

When it comes to food, Bill has a particular fondness for Asian cuisine and collard greens. His favorite hobbies include learning American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish, as well as painting landscapes.

If Bill could see any artist, dead or alive, he would choose to see Ella Fitzgerald. Her timeless talent and incredible performances make her an artist he greatly admires.

Bill Ho**er and SourceOne Innovations have made significant strides in supplier diversity, and Proximo is proud to highlight their partnership and accomplishments.

Proximo is delighted to continue our Partnership Highlights series by highlighting Heather Cox and her company, Certify My Company. We chose Heather and CMC for this highlight, as she works closely with many diverse suppliers getting them certified by Disability:IN, who has their conference in Las Vegas next week!

Heather and Proximo’s paths first crossed 13 years ago at Nglccny - National LGBT Chamber of Commerce New York, back when she lived in New Jersey. Since then, Proximo and CMC have fostered a strong and successful partnership that has brought numerous benefits to both organizations. Heather said that our partnership came out of her constant run-ins with David Ricciardi at nearly every event she went to. “We would always ask each other, ‘So remind me what you do again?’ and then follow-up with, ‘We should totally partner!’, but it never really materialized until one day at a Diversity Alliance for Science event.

Heather and David conceived the ideas for what became Heather’s favorite project she has worked on with Proximo: Supplier Diversity in a Box (now part of The Diversity Edge family of products). Heather and David had both discovered that companies were struggling with launching Supplier Diversity program due to a lack of resources. Combining our analytics and CMC's certification and knowledge, we (along with SourceOne Innovations, Inc.) created a product that has been highly effective.

Heather is incredibly proud of CMC’s growth over the past 14 years. She takes pride in educating people about Supplier Diversity and certifications, helping them achieve successes and win contracts they previously thought unattainable. Looking to the future, Heather hopes Supplier Diversity remains significant. She envisions CMC expanding into state certifications. She believes CMC's experience can help optimize state certification processes, where resources are often limited. What sets CMC apart from others in the industry? Succinctly stated by Heather, it’s CMC's ability to “facilitate the right diversity certifications for our clients”.

Heather is passionate about elevating underestimated entrepreneurs, describing herself as a “champion and cheerleader” for them. This dedication drives her work at CMC and beyond.

On a lighter note, Heather’s favorite food is hamburgers (she answered this question in a sing-song voice too, so we know she really likes them), specifically those with beef bacon, spicy sauce, and a runny egg. Her favorite hobby is hitting the gym, which she has made a routine despite her busy schedule with five (!) kids.

Finally, we asked Heather if she could see any artist, dead or alive, who would it be, and where? She instantly said Woodstock. “Even though I hate the outdoors and being dirty, Woodstock was just so iconic. It had such a vibe and energy... and to witness Janis Joplin live would be electric.”

To learn more about CMC, please visit www.certifymycompany.org.

See Proximo CEO David Ricciardi be interviewed by Orlando's WFTV Channel 9 about + businesses and how chambers support our community but local and national economies.

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/we-are-all-valuable-part-whole-community-pride-chamber-helps-lgbtq-businesses-thrive/6VLSNW3C6JBTRK34NI6TBDRT7U/

‘We are all a valuable part of the whole community’: Pride Chamber helps LGBTQ+ businesses thrive Being a business owner always comes with many challenges. Add being LGBTQ+ to the mix, and it could be even more challenging.

We have here at Proximo, which does the hard work to be recognized by our client, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), for its Partnership Supplier Recognition Award. We are humbled and love making a difference!

Today we make another entry in our “In Their Words” series. This time, we feature Caíque Cardoso, a Data Specialist on at Proximo. Caique works in our Services group.

Caique has been with Proximo for over two years and brings high-level skills and a passion for data to the team. He chose Proximo because it offers challenges and opportunity, especially since it marked his first full-time job outside his home country. Caique notes, “I thrive on challenges and enjoy pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.”

Caique’s favorite part of the job is handling data. He says, “I've always enjoyed analyzing data and deriving insights from previous datasets and the historical data they contain.”

Caique's biggest accomplishment at Proximo involves successfully structuring a complex data loading process into the company’s database. Given the influx of data received daily, this achievement stands out as a testament to his expertise.

Caique’s proudest moments of his career have been assisting others in achieving goals or overcoming obstacles. Whether offering support to a friend facing a challenge or providing guidance to colleagues, knowing that he has made a positive impact on someone else’s journey brings him immense satisfaction.

His greatest strength? His answer is right to the point: “My greatest skill is the ability to adapt. And I can get things done fast!” This kind of skill is crucial at Proximo as we operate a dynamic slate of projects, often with quick timelines.

Outside of work, Caique is into physical activities like basketball and going to the gym. He also enjoys a good TV show and playing video games, balancing his physical pursuits with more relaxed hobbies.

When it comes to personal favorites, Caique enjoys many dishes from Brazil’s rich culinary landscape, but particularly loves barbecue or a good grilled fish.

Finally, if Caique could see any band or artist, dead or alive, it would be a 90s grunge mainstay. “I would love to have seen a Nirvana concert, as I'm a huge fan of Kurt Cobain. The perfect setting would be at the MTV Unplugged performance.”

Join us in celebrating Caique’s unique personality and valued contributions to Proximo. We are lucky to have such a talented individual as part of our team.

Join us this week as we continue our “In Their Words” series and shine a spotlight on another remarkable member of at Proximo, our dedicated and dynamic project manager, Pallavi Nigam. Pallavi is one of Proximo’s UK-based employees.

Pallavi has brought her exceptional skills and passion to the team in 2023, primarily to manage the product development of the company’s Proveedor analytics platform. She chose Proximo because the company’s values and mission statement resonated deeply with her. The role offered was a perfect alignment with her skills, experience, and career aspirations, allowing her to make a substantial impact in her preferred field while contributing to the organization's growth.

What is her favorite part about working at Proximo? “People do their best work when they are happy and valued… The team here always show up for each other and everyone is treated with the same respect. At Proximo we not only speak about our core values, but also live them through the actions - talking the talk and walking the walk. Our CEO David is a very genuine person and I guess it all starts from there.”

Pallavi’s greatest strength is her ability to “give my best in high pressure situations.” Pallavi finds creative ways to keep calm and organize her work efficiently, ensuring that she gets the most important tasks done during her most productive times. This ability has allowed her to contribute significantly to her team when they need her the most.

Outside of work, Pallavi cherishes spending time with her family. She loves that Proximo allows her to balance both her professional and personal life, providing her with the best of both worlds: “I work hard and I enjoy my vacations and get to spend personal time with my family when I take a break from work. In short, I get the best of both the worlds!”

When it comes to personal favorites, Pallavi is a fan of Dahi Puri, a delightful chaat food consisting of miniature puris filled with spiced mashed potatoes and garnished with chilled yogurt, finely chopped onions, coriander leaves, and sev. As she simply puts it, “Pop it into your mouth one by one and the explosion of flavors will be one you won’t forget for a long time to come!”

Finally, when asked if she could see any artist, dead or alive, Pallavi chose the legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar. “She is often referred to as the ‘Nightingale of India’ and is a legendary playback singer known for her ethereal voice that has touched the hearts of music lovers worldwide.”

Join us in celebrating Pallavi’s invaluable contributions to Proximo. We are grateful to have such a dedicated and talented individual as part of our team. She is also joining David Ricciardi at the OutBritain conference in on June 5 so if you will be there, be sure to introduce yourself!

Next week, our CEO & Founder, David Ricciardi as well as Project Manager Pallavi Nigam, will be at the OutConnect Conference hosted by OutBritain in ! OutBritain (an NGLCC - The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce affiliate) is a trusted partner of Proximo's, as we helped build their Certified Supplier Platform and they have certified our subsidiary. We are excited for this conference, which OutBritain describes as 'an unparalleled day of inspiration, connection, and empowerment, exclusively designed for trailblazing organisations and forward-thinking corporates committed to supplier diversity'. Proximo is thrilled to support OutBritain's effort at OutConnect, and we are looking forward to the exciting agenda and amazing people we are sure to meet.

This week, Proximo is proud to continue our Case Studies series with one from a client that we have been serving for over 10 years.

This client is an in the space that Proximo has partnered with to build and optimize its health care platform. In this particular example, the client required assistance with migrating a legacy to their new Unified Metadata (UM) platform.

This warehouse was purpose-built, but the new UM platform offered greater flexibility and lower maintenance costs. This also meant that massive amounts of data needed to be migrated. Proximo first developed a historical data load that the client could execute either in batch or incremental modes, providing the ability to test, retest and migrate over time.

Proximo then implemented an process that completed hundreds of complex data transformations that were based on metadata mapping requirements of the new UM platform, ensuring that this registry would be properly integrated.

Not only did Proximo develop and implement this process, but we provided post-production support for live data loads. This is particularly important to Proximo, as we believe simply delivering a solution for our clients is not enough. We take pride in our commitment to ensuring efficient application of the solutions we develop.

Overall, this migration solution not only solved this individual registry issue but allowed for the client to leverage the solution for the migration of other legacy data warehouse registries into the new UM platform. Over one billion records have been migrated.

Proximo highlights our work in the latest Case Study, focusing on the industry's impact on spend and health in communities. Our data scientists linked 9,000+ diverse suppliers with SDOH data, revealing significant improvements in 22 out of 65 health variables with increased diverse spending.

Key findings include reduced child poverty and mortality rates, and gains in life expectancy, income, and food security. Proximo is proud to help clients showcase their and , enhancing community well-being. Contact us to leverage your data for good.

Proximo is always looking for innovative ways to leverage new tools and our & expertise to create value for our clients. is a burgeoning topic in the world today, and Proximo has sought to leverage and to offer intelligent information to customers.

https://www.proximo.com/news/2024/3/8/generativeaiinnovation

Join us this week as continue our “In Their Words” series and shine a spotlight on another remarkable member of at Proximo, our dedicated and dynamic data scientist, Jessica McCullars, who has been with Proximo for over 10 years. She chose Proximo for its “holistic view of development and performance, knowing that the more employees develop, personally and professionally, the better they will perform and the better the whole company will be”. She was also drawn to Proximo’s strong foundation of “doing the right thing, and not just for its clients”.

https://www.proximo.com/news/2024/3/8/in-their-words-jessica-mccullars

In Their Words: Jessica McCullars — Proximo Today we shine a spotlight on another remarkable member of at Proximo, our dedicated and dynamic data scientist, Jessica McCullars . Jessica has been with Proximo for over 10 years. She chose Proximo for its “holistic view of development and performance, knowing that the more employee

Proximo is proud to continue our Case Studies series with one that ties a few themes together and comes with a client testimonial! As we mentioned last week, Women's Business Enterprise National Council - WBENC is hosting their national conference this week and Proximo’s own Director of , Lindsay Burger is in attendance.

The theme of WBENC this year is “Amplify”, in essence, amplifying the voice of women in business. The project we are highlighting today celebrates the women of , such as Jessica Cameron McCullars. It also includes a partner of Proximo’s, Southpaw Insights, a that we highlighted earlier this month.

This project was done for American Society of Addiction Medicine - ASAM, an association in the healthcare space. The association estimated that there were 340,000 professionals (HCPs) working in its field but claimed only a fraction of those as members. The goal of the project was to determine a path to convert those HCPs into members.

The approach Proximo & Southpaw Insights took to solve this problem was three-fold. First, it involved a detailed of the client’s existing HCP members. Next were , done to understand more in-depth what HCPs were looking for in potential memberships and what their decision-making factors were. Finally, we did a thorough analysis of non-member perspectives to understand what those outside of the association wanted and where they found value.

In the end, we were proud to be able to deliver an integrated report that detailed HCP journeys both in the industry and relative to the client, reactions to potential messaging, and non-member understanding of and attitudes toward the field.

Valerie M. Evans, CAE, VP of Governance & Membership, had this to say about the project: “We engaged Proximo for a project focused on understanding healthcare professionals' pathways to treating substance use disorders and enhancing ASAM membership. Their findings offered invaluable insights into effective messaging and strategies to increase engagement and membership. Their recommendations are guiding our efforts to better support healthcare professionals in addiction medicine. Proximo's work has been pivotal in refining our outreach and support strategies.”

One of our favorite things at Proximo is helping understand how to grow their membership and provide value to those members. It is something that we have worked diligently on with many associations, and are proud to be an industry leader in. If this is expertise you need, don’t hesitate to reach out to Proximo by commenting, direct messaging, or emailing us! https://www.proximo.com

We are thrilled to announce that Lindsay Burger, our esteemed Director of Supplier Diversity Services, will be attending the Women's Business Enterprise National Council - WBENC Conference in Denver next week!

🔹 Meet Lindsay at WBENC: Lindsay is passionate about fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the supply chain, and she's eager to connect with fellow thought leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs at the conference. If you're attending, be sure to reach out and meet her in person!

🔹 About Lindsay: With years of experience and a deep commitment to promoting supplier diversity, Lindsay has been instrumental in driving our initiatives at Proximo. Her expertise and dedication have not only advanced our goals but have also contributed significantly to creating a more inclusive business environment.

🔹 Our Commitment: At Proximo, we believe in the power of diversity and the positive impact it has on innovation and growth. Supporting and participating in events like the WBENC Conference underscores our commitment to this belief and our ongoing efforts to enhance supplier diversity.

📢 Let's Connect: Whether you're a fellow attendee or just interested in learning more about our Supplier Diversity services, we'd love to hear from you. Follow our journey at the WBENC Conference and beyond, and let's work together to build a more inclusive future. Visit https://www.proximo.com/supplierdiversity for more information.

We're excited to present another installment of our "In Their Words" series, showcasing the remarkable individuals who make up at Proximo. This week, we're highlighting the exceptional Amarachi Anthony. Amarachi is a gifted programmer and specialist based out of Dallas, who has been with Proximo since 2022.

https://www.proximo.com/news/2024/3/8/in-their-words-amarachi-anthony

This year, Proximo is starting a new series, called “Partnership Highlights”. Each quarter, we will take the opportunity to put the spotlight on some of our favorite partners, to showcase why they are unique and why we love to work with them.

Kicking this series off, we have Jessica Broome, who runs Southpaw Insights! We not only wanted to focus on Southpaw because we work with them so closely, but we wanted to highlight a since the Women's Business Enterprise National Council - WBENC Conference is only three weeks away.

https://www.proximo.com/news/2024/2/29/partnership-highlights-southpaw-insights

Proximo is proud to continue our Case Studies series with a data-intensive project we completed in the industry.

Previously we showed a project that ingested survey data and allowed users to see dashboards and benchmark themselves against other users. Today, the project we are highlighting takes things a step further and uses the data collected by this client to answer a business question.

The client wanted to utilize the massive amount of customer comments they had received to predict future sales of automobiles.

To set these insights up, Proximo first started by building a that processed several data sources, including , mobile , and web/social data. We then layered on top of that data to systematically categorize the text from those sources into relevant subject areas.

The data mart also took in the entire dealership hierarchy, as well as every individual sales transaction to provide the client with two solutions.

The first was a that allowed the C-suite to monitor the (VoC) data, which could be filtered by subject, dealer, model, geography, and more.

The second was a continually updated model that correlates what customers say to future sales. This model came with a monthly opportunity report, which detailed top potential targets for marketing and sales efforts.

This entire project gave our client the ability to instantly analyze this Voice of the Customer data and see how it correlates to the bottom line, which provided them a strategic advantage in their market.

With this case study, we are sharing a couple visuals showing some of the high-level analysis of their VoC data.

If you have large sets of data that you are collecting and want an experienced partner that can help develop a way to ingest and learn from that data to make predictions that can drive bottom line improvement from your company, Proximo is here for you. This is one of many case studies we have showcasing the return on investment you can see from a predictive analytics problem, and Proximo takes pride in tailoring our solutions specifically to the unique problems each client of ours faces.

We’re back! Continuing to highlight people on at Proximo, this week we have James Price. James is a Architect who lives in the Kansas City area. He’s been with Proximo for over 4 years.

Before joining Proximo, James said “I wasn’t looking for a job. I was just seeing what was available. When I talked to David Ricciardi, however, I fell in love with the idea of a revolving workload, with different clients and different challenges”. He notes that this is his favorite part about working at Proximo, as the multitude of different projects and clients provides a freshness he hadn’t seen elsewhere in his career.

James has contributed to many projects in his time at Proximo, often with our most successful clients. He feels his biggest accomplishment at Proximo has been the development of a survey collection platform and results dashboard for a college research library association. This was a huge undertaking for a client with a multitude of nuances and formulas in their data. James met the challenge head-on and built the dashboards and necessary measures from the ground-up. In fact, he did so well that he was mentioned in an industry publication highlighting the value of the platform.

This is a great example of what James says is his best skill -- problem solving. Dominic Gassman, Client Engagement Manager at Proximo who has worked with James for the past six years had this to say about him: “James is extremely proficient and taking a complex problem that seems overwhelming and distilling it down to simplistic parts that he can then take in turn. And he never gets frazzled during the process.”

When he’s not problem solving and getting published, James’ favorite activity is going to the lake. Although, “It’s changed this past year… I have a kid now! He’s getting to the age where he can walk, so I am excited to take him out on the boat this year. He’s going to have a ton of fun!”

James’ son is a large piece of what he is most proud of in life. When asked to choose his proudest life accomplishment, he said “Achieving a dream… In high school, you see your parents with a house, car, kid, and the like. But then college is humbling, as you can be broke at times. But to now be ahead of the curve with a great job, beautiful wife, a nice house and a new son… there’s so much to enjoy!”

James had a very All-American answer when asked about his favorite food: “I’ll never turn down a good piece of pizza for sure.” Meat Lovers is his flavor of choice, and has recently become a fan of Pizza Tascio, a small chain new to the Kansas City area.

Finally, James’ dream concert is Blink-182 at The Truman in Kansas City. “They’re one of my all time favorite bands, and the smaller, warehouse-y Truman would be a perfect spot to see them”.

This year, Proximo is also restarting our “In Their Words” series, where we will highlight individuals at Proximo. This is a chance for our network to see and learn more about members of Proximo’s . Our goal is to give a glimpse into their lives and what they are proud of, why they do the things they do, and how they have fun and unwind!

To kick things off is Vitalie Tihon. Vitali joined Proximo 8 years ago for a couple reasons, one being the competitive pay offered to developers. But more importantly, he noted that he was drawn to “the freedom of choosing what technology I wanted to use, how I wanted to apply it, and how I wanted to manage it.”

One of Vitali’s proudest life decisions is his decision to trust his gut and leave his previous job, which offered security, for Proximo. “I felt that I could pursue and achieve my goals at Proximo, but it wasn’t as easy decision. I am very glad I made it.”

Vitali used this freedom to help pioneer one of Proximo’s most successful offerings, our Proveedor platform, which he says is his proudest achievement at Proximo. “I started, developed, and implemented the Proveedor program from scratch. It was very challenging but very fulfilling.” Proveedor has been a highly successful endeavor for Proximo, and Vitali is proud to see the impact it makes on Supplier Diversity programs across the world.

When asked what his favorite part about his job is, Vitali said, “I love the coding! I like to be able to focus in on the coding and then see the result in production.” He added that his flexibility is his best skill, as he can “adapt to any new technology, or coding language. It doesn’t matter if it is web-based or mobile, I can adapt.”

Vitali is just as interesting outside of Proximo. His main hobby is playing “football, well I guess I should say soccer!” which he plays weekly with his friends. Vitali used to play semi-professional football in Moldova’s 3rd division and won trophies with his team as one of their best players!

Since music and food unite us all, we asked Vitali a couple questions about those. When asked what his favorite dish is, Vitali had this to say: “I love dishes made with fish. I am not sure if you have this in the United States, but I love fish soup. But here in Romania, we use fish from rivers and lakes, not oceans. Carp is one of my favorites.”

When he got the question “If you could see one band or artist, dead or alive, who would you see?” Vitali was quick to say “Coldplay! They are coming to Romania in 2024, and I hope I can go. They are really amazing.”

Finally, when asked what his favorite European country (besides Moldova & Romania), Vitali said it was without a doubt, Greece. “The islands… Rhodes, Crete… they are full of great people, great food, and great wine!”