In November of 2022, the New York City Department of Design and Construction (NYC DDC) released a video featuring other local M/WBE firms and small business owners. Schillivia Baptise, CEO and President of Laland Baptiste, and Robert Baptiste, COO, were lucky enough to be included in the discussion of the NYC DDC Mentorship Program.
In the video, Schillivia discusses Laland Baptiste’s experience of becoming certified with the City, stating it was the “entrypoint” for their company. Robert then discusses the positive impact acquiring these certifications had on their company.
“We did a lot of private work in the beginning, smaller jobs. We were taking anything we could find at that point. Then when we got certified, the certifications opened the door for us. The Department of Design and Construction has an extensive portfolio of client agencies. We tend to work for most of those client agencies on behalf of DDC.”
-Robert Baptiste, COO
Laland Baptiste
Schillivia accredits Laland Baptiste’s advancements to their city and state M/WBE certifications, starting off as sub-consultants and eventually working their way to becoming certified prime consultants.
While the process of becoming certified can be a daunting one, there is help available for small firms. The goal of the NYC DDC program is to advance M/WBE firms and small businesses with little to no experience. With this program, mentors assist participants in becoming involved with projects throughout the city, navigating the bidding process, and successfully priming projects as contractors.
Laland Baptiste is the prime consultant for the NYC DDC Mentorship Program, and is looking forward to continuing their work with firms and small businesses in 2023.
If you are interested in program updates for the NYC DDC Mentorship program, please visit nyc.gov/ddc/mentoring-program.
