An Overview of Our Diversity Directory

At the North Shore Alliance, we are always looking for ways to improve life for the businesses in our 30 communities across the North Shore of Massachusetts. One way that we have recently aimed to improve is our Diversity Directory. 

If you have visited our website lately, you may have noticed the addition of the Diversity Directory on our main menu bar. Let’s take a look at what this is and how it can help encourage businesses in our cities and towns across our region. 

What Is The Diversity Directory? 

The Diversity Directory is both an online and printable directory located on our site. It is a marketing tool for businesses that would like to offer their services or products to other businesses and institutions within the North Shore region. It will additionally help private businesses and municipalities identify diverse businesses so they can proactively increase equity in their procurement opportunities.

The ultimate goal of the Directory is to improve equity and diversity in both the public and private sectors throughout the North Shore of Massachusetts. The North Shore Alliance hopes to expand upon the already available women and minority-owned business list in cities such as Salem, Lynn, Beverly, Peabody and the Towns of Swampscott and Marblehead developed.

Requirements for the Diversity Directory

In order to be considered for participation in the directory, businesses must meet the following criteria. 

• The business must be located within the North Shore region. This includes one of the following towns – Amesbury, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Revere, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, West Newbury, and Winthrop. 
• The business must have at least 51% of the ownership team in at least one of the following categories: Immigrant, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons/people (LGBTQIA), Black/African American, Hispanic or Latino (Central/South American or Caribbean), American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, person/people with a (dis)ability, Service-Disabled Veteran, Veteran, and/or Woman/Women.

Businesses that believe they qualify and would like to be considered for this Diversity Directory must submit a completed registration form.

Diversity is what makes our country and region great. Having people from different backgrounds and beliefs is a positive for our region. Workplaces, teams, and business owners that are diverse provide amazing opportunities for career growth and business evolution. 

Please visit our Diversity Directory by either printing a copy of the PDF or by viewing online. Additionally, if you feel that your business meets the required criteria, please seek an application to be promoted on the Directory.