Aug. 24, 2022 | Volume 57

In This Issue

NGLCC Conference
Chamber Day at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum
Advertise in Business Intersections
Grow with Google Small Business Bootcamp
Chamber Blog Posts
OUT & About
OutSmart Magazine Gayest & Greatest Awards
Upcoming Events
Member Spotlights
New & Renewing Partners and Members
Connect with the Chamber on Social Media

Upcoming Events

August 24 - Small Business Bootcamp: Make Your Website Work for You

August 25 - Small Business Bootcamp: Sell Online with E-Commerce Tools

August 25 - Biz Connect Mixer at Poggenpohl, co-hosted by EPAH

September 2 - First Friday Meet & Eat at Buddy's

September 8 - LGBTBE® Regional Roundtable: Strategy Execution

September 17 - Chamber Day with the 1940 Air Terminal Museum

September 21 - Member Orientation

September 28 - EMPOWER! Virtual Career Fair

September 29 - Ribbon Cutting for Sesh Coworking

Visit the event calendar for more events and information.

Become a Member Today!

Dear Houston LGBT,

We have a ton to share again this month! The Chamber is growing! Just this month we've added 10 new members. Welcome to our newest members. Check out the full list in this issue.

As we finish out August, we have quite a bit coming up for you to engage with the Chamber. If you’re a member, there are great opportunities to maximize your membership benefits. If you’re not a member, what are you waiting for?!?! Join the Chamber and tap into events, programming and more throughout the year.

We have some exciting and fun events coming up including Chamber Day at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum. This will be a great community and family event right on the runway of Hobby Airport! Read on for more details.

This issue of the Chamber Connect shares a great recap of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) International Business & Leadership Conference held earlier this month. Almost 2,000 people from LGBTBE^® Certified businesses to Corporate Partners to Affiliate Chambers and more convened in Las Vegas to celebrate the LGBTQ+ business community. Make your plans to attend in 2023!

Plus, recent blog posts, OUT & About in the community and much more in this newsletter. Check it out!

As we gear up for a strong finish for 2022 and start planning 2023, your financial support is key to helping the Chamber succeed and thrive and continue our work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. Please consider additional support to push our work even further. Some ways you can support the Chamber including increasing your Business member level or Corporate Partner Level, sponsoring an event or advertising in the Chamber's Diigital Magazine, Business Intersections. YOUR support helps us make a difference in the LGBTQ+ community. Reach out to the Chamber Office at 832-510-3002 or email info@houstonlgbtchamber.com to inquire about additional investment in the Chamber's mission.

We appreciate the support of our members! Thank you for your investment in the Chamber.

With Pride,

Tammi Wallace (she/her/hers)

Co-Founder and President & CEO

If your company is not part of the Chamber, now is a great time to join. The Chamber is active all year long! With a full calendar of events and other opportunities, it’s a great engagement opportunity and brand visibility for your business. Want to join in the fun? Become an individual member of the Chamber and tap into great professional networking!

Select your membership type below to get started!

Business Level Membership (99 employees or less)

Corporate Partnership (100 employees or more)

Individual / Professional Membership

What a Week!

2022 NGLCC International Business & Leadership Conference

Chamber Leadership engaged with colleagues, members and Corporate Partners at the 2022 National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) International Business & Leadership Conference held in Las Vegas.

View More Photos

Make your plans to attend the 2023 conference in Denver!

Upcoming Event Spotlight

Join us for Chamber Day at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum

Join us for Chamber Day at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum as part of the museum's Wings & Wheels event.

Wings & Wheels is the 1940 Air Terminal Museum's quarterly open house day. Enjoy an exciting day checking out planes parked on the airport ramp and vehicles from local car clubs, learn about Houston’s aviation history with a guided tour, or catch a presentation by a local historian. This is a great event for the family!

Join in Chamber Day for the Wings & Wheels event including...

Tour the museum
Static aircraft and vehicles on display including Tiger Flight with a rainbow colored smoke display
Access to the Hobby Airport runway
AI Flight Simulator
DJ
Classic Cars
Final Four Fan Jam

Learn More

Sponsor this event and get visibility for your biz and showcase your support for the LGBTQ+ community and the arts! Sponsorship levels start at $250.00.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Become a Sponsor

Secure Your Ad Now for the "Coming Out" Issue of Business Intersections!

The deadline is August 31st to reserve space in the Fall edition celebrating National Coming Out Day.

The "Coming Out" issue will celebrate the coming out stories of some of our Chamber members, including allies, through their personal coming out stories and/or as a business owner.

Members can take advantage of advertising space (with member-only rates) in each edition of the magazine.

Reserve Your Ad Today

The Chamber is partnering with Grow with Google to help our members learn digital skills, grow their businesses and access free tools & resources as part of the 2022 Chamber Business Builder Series.

The Small Business Bootcamp is designed to develop and apply your strategy to achieve your business goals for the end of 2022! Half-time has passed and it's time to ask ourselves - what are you going to do differently in the second half of 2022 to make sure we finish the year strong?

Upcoming sessions include:

Make Your Website Work for You
Sell Online with E-Commerce Tools

Need a recording from a prior session? Just reach out to the Chamber Office and we’ll send a link your way.

Check Out Some of the Latest Chamber Blog Posts

Drag + Community = Raising the Bar – Chamber Co-Founder, President & CEO, Tammi Wallace, shares her moving experience at Mint Julep, Legacy Community Health’s event that raises funds for HIV/AIDS awareness. The Chamber is proud to call Legacy Community Health an inaugural Chamber member.

SBA Size Standards – Did you know that approximately 99.5% of all US businesses are considered 'small' by the US Small Business Administration? These businesses are eligible for free business advisors and mentors, training, super competitive business loan terms, access to federal contracts and surplus equipment, and more. In this blog post, learn about the recent expansion of the definition of ‘small’ businesses. Learn more in the blog post that includes information from Chamber Strategic Partner, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Houston District Office.

Recently the Chamber had the opportunity to tour the new buildout at Sesh Coworking. The space is incredible! Check out the wall of Houston leaders that Sesh is honoring in the new space. You might recognize a few people!

Did you know that Sesh is a 2022 Pride In Business Allied Business of the Year Honoree? The Sesh team is a champion for the LGBTQ+ community! We are proud to call Sesh Coworking one of our longtime members.

View Photo Album

Chamber Leadership participated in the ICCC Houston Kick-Off event. Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) is a tuition-free program, sponsored by Chamber Corporate Partner Regions Bank, designed by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) to help small business owners in under-resourced communities build capacity and resiliency for long-term sustainable growth, as well as navigate the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apply for the program here.

View Photo Album

We LOVE seeing members and Corporate Partners collaborate. It was a fun time at the Houston Dash Watch Party at Pearl Bar!

View Photo Album

The Chamber was proud to partner with the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, on the Building Bridges to Global Markets event.

View Photo Album

Thank you to our colleagues at The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston for hosting a POWER Lunch with Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, with diverse chambers and community leaders. Chamber Board Chair, Tiffany Tosh, represented the Chamber.

View Photo Album

Chamber Founding Member, OutSmart Magazine, has opened up nominations for the OutSmart Readers' Choice Awards. Nominate your business or yourself as the "Gayest & Greatest!" in one of the many categories from July 15-25th on OutsmartMagazine.com .

Voting runs through August 28th. Winners are announced in our October issue and there is a fabulous party to celebrate all of the winners! Cast your vote for the Chamber! We appreciate your support!

Vote Now!

There are plenty of ways to engage with the Chamber in 2022 and make some great connections!

August 24 - Small Business Bootcamp: Make Your Website Work for You
August 25 - Small Business Bootcamp: Sell Online with E-Commerce Tools
August 25 - Biz Connect Mixer at Poggenpohl, co-hosted by EPAH
September 2 - First Friday Meet & Eat at BUDDY'S
September 8 - LGBTBE^® Regional Roundtable: Strategy Execution
September 17 - Chamber Day with the 1940 Air Terminal Museum
September 21 - Member Orientation
September 28 - Trans Can Work: EMPOWER! Virtual Career Fair
September 29 - Ribbon Cutting for Sesh Coworking

The Chamber events calendar is regularly updated so check back often and keep an eye out for event announcements.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for various programming throughout the year. Click here to learn more and become a sponsor.

For in-person events, please review the Chamber’s Health & Safety Policy and COVID Waiver.

Member Spotlights

Congratulations to inaugural LGBTBE® Certified member, Michael’s Cookie Jar, on their 16 year Anniversary! Get your cookies at https://www.michaelscookiejar.com/.

Speaking of anniversaries! Chamber Member, Eureka Heights Brewery, is celebrating their 6 year anniversary. Check out the Sixer Mixer anniversary celebration coming up on August 27.

A Dream to Remember Events was recently featured in the Houston Chronicle showcasing their involvement in “A Colorful Wedding Experience”, focused on soon-to-be-married LGBTQ+ couples.

Congratulations Jack! Jack Berger who serves as the Chamber’s Director of Sales and Business Development was recently selected to serve a three-year term on the board of the Syracuse University Daily Orange, his alma mater. The paper is the student-run university publication.

Corporate Partner, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center named #1 in the nation for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 “Best Hospitals” rankings. The institution has been one of the nation’s top two hospitals for cancer care since the survey’s inception in 1990.

Do you have some good news to share? From time to time, the Chamber highlights significant accomplishments, big milestones and other good news about our Members and Corporate Partners. Please submit news about your member business via this form.

Renewing Corporate Partner

Thank you to our Bronze Corporate Partner Maggiano's Little Italy who has renewed their investment. We appreciate your continued support of the Chamber!

Happy Chamberversary!

Executive Level

State Farm agent Jeremy Henry is dedicated to helping people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. Since 2014, Jeremy has served customers in Montrose, The Heights, River Oaks, Central Houston, Katy, Sugar Land and Pearland.

Business Plus

Business Connect

eXp Realty | Ilich Ramirez

Welcome New Members!

Business Connect

Affordable 1 Home Services

AFUS, LLC

St. Anthony Community Choice

It’s a great time to be part of our growing and thriving community. Join today!

Channel Highlight – YouTube

Check out the Chamber’s YouTube page for past events, resources and more.

Other Chamber Social Media Channels

Also, check out the Facebook Member Group where member can post information about their organizations. Are you a new Chamber Member? Post up an intro video and let us know about you and your member organization!

Member's Group

Make sure your business is included in the online Chamber Directory where the community finds LGBTQ+ supportive businesses. Show your support and get more visibility for your business in the LGBTQ+ community!

Don’t own a business? Join and take advantage of great networking through the Professionals Membership!