The powerful collaboration that brought the Supply Chain Information Series to life in the Richmond–Petersburg region has earned the Alliance for Building Better Medicine’s Vanessa Womack a spot as a finalist for The Metropolitan Business League’s “Trailblazing Partnership of the Year” award. Winners will be announced live at the MBL Awards Ceremony on March 21, 2025.

Launched in December 2024, the Supply Chain Information Series was created to spotlight the collaborative efforts of a growing cluster of multi-jurisdictional public and private sector stakeholders working together as the Alliance for Building Better Medicine. Their shared goal: to establish an end-to-end supply chain in our region for the development of high-quality, affordable medicines. The webinar series provides a unique opportunity to learn from a deeply passionate and knowledgeable group of local leaders while offering valuable insights into the transformative opportunities within the region. Its broader purpose is to expand community awareness of this emerging sector and foster connections among professionals committed to shaping a new era of R&D, advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing, workforce development, and supply chain innovation in the Richmond–Petersburg region.

This educational initiative was made possible through the leadership of Vanessa Womack, with support from HMG Data Services, L.L.C., a provider of information technology services, and Digital Image House Photography, a visual content provider specializing in corporate and event photography and video production. Together, these local organizations launched the Supply Chain Information Series, an initiative that has sparked meaningful conversations about building a thriving and sustainable future for our region’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector and workforce.

“Vanessa’s leadership — along with the support of HMG Data Services, L.L.C. and Digital Image House Photography — made this important work possible as we work together to define a new era of advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing in our region,” said Leslie Strickler, founder of Être Communications, a partner agency supporting the Alliance for Building Better Medicine’s growth.

Since its launch, the Alliance has helped unlock transformative funding, including the EDA’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge ($52.9 million, matched by $13.6 million in public and private support), the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge Award ($3.94 million), the first-ever NSF Regional Innovation Engines Development Award ($1 million), and other high-profile accolades for Richmond and Petersburg.

Webinars from the Supply Chain Information Series are available here: https://buildingbettermedicine.com/webinars/