We are excited to announce that Tough Leaf and our Founder & CEO, Wissam Akra, have been featured in Crain’s New York, highlighting our work to empower small, minority, and women-owned businesses (MWBEs) in the construction industry. The article, titled "This Midtown Startup is Leveling the Field for MWBE Construction Firms," explores the challenges that Wissam faced during his tenure at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which inspired the creation of Tough Leaf.
How Tough Leaf is Transforming Opportunities for Small and Diverse Subcontractors in Construction
Tough Leaf, founded in 2021, was designed to help general contractors identify and connect with subcontractors that meet project requirements while supporting small businesses and MWBEs. Our platform simplifies and automates the bid procurement process, providing general contractors with up-to-date information on certified businesses. By integrating data across state and city certification platforms, Tough Leaf ensures that the contractors have access to the most accurate and current information, enabling them to meet compliance requirements and streamline business development.
Tough Leaf’s Proven Success: Over $600 Million in Contracts Secured
The article emphasizes the impact we’ve already made in the construction industry. The Tough Leaf platform has helped procure over $600 million in business contracts, including high-profile projects like JP Morgan Chase’s headquarters, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and the Bronx Museum of Art. Additionally, we have seen rapid growth, reporting $1.5 million in revenue as of the third quarter of 2023 and raising $8 million in venture funding.
A Platform for Compliance and Business Growth
Wissam’s vision for Tough Leaf extends beyond just diversity compliance—it’s about creating opportunities and leveling the playing field for businesses that traditionally struggle to compete. As he stated in the article, “We started off as a diversity compliance platform to make sure that contractors meet their compliance requirements, but it ended up being a business development platform.”
With a growing client base that spans across New York, Florida, Texas, and beyond, the #ToughLeafTeam is poised to continue transforming the industry. Our plans include expanding to the West Coast and developing new products such as Tough Leaf ClearSpend, which allows businesses to monitor their spending with firms that carry diverse certifications. At Tough Leaf we are committed to helping construction companies grow through data-driven procurement, and this feature in Crain’s New York is a testament to our continued success and growth.
Discover more about our journey and how Tough Leaf is making a difference in the construction industry by reading the full article in Crain’s New York.