The Chicago Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, marking its 20th anniversary, is changing it name. To mark the occasion, the board of directors have decided to change the name of the organization to more closely align itself with and reflect the community it serves. The organization's new name is LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois.
The Chamber was launched by Tracy Baim, then-publisher of Outlines newspaper and now publisher of Windy City Times. Baim and Kevin Boyer were its first co-chairs. Additional co-founders were Tom Tunney, Carrie Barnett and Art Johnston. All five started working together in 1995 to help promote small businesses in advance of the 1996 Democratic National Convention coming to Chicago. Baim wanted a group to follow on the heels of the defunct Metropolitan Business Association, which had served businesses in the 1980s.
"Our 20th anniversary is the perfect time to reflect on two decades of accomplishments, and also gives us an opportunity to reshape ourselves for the future," says Gerardo Rodriguez, the chamber's current executive director. "We've always been inclusive, but we thought it was time to do something very visible to show that inclusiveness to everyone within our community, and to the greater business community at large."
"We're very proud of the progress we've made as an organization over the past 20 years, and this past year in particular," continued Rodriguez. "Our partnership with SCORE, launched in February 2016, and the first of its kind in the nation, gives our members access to the collective wisdom and guidance of many business leaders. Our ongoing collaboration with the Small Business Administration helps bring the resources of the SBA to our members. These partnerships, along with our vital and popular networking opportunities and other educational programs, serve to strengthen our member businesses."
"Along with our new name, we have major initiatives already in play that are designed to help our member businesses flourish," says Rodriguez. "In this anniversary year, our biggest initiative is to help member businesses that are LGBT owned get certified as an LGBT Business Enterprise ( LGBTBE ). This certification helps LGBT businesses gain access to corporate Supplier Diversity chains. We are the only organization in Illinois authorized to provide these certifications, which are managed nationally by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce."
