BIZ Online NGLCC

The U.S. federal government purchases more than $500 billion in good and services every year, and at this year's NGLCC National Conference attendees will learn how to best position their business for a piece of the federal pie by becoming a contractor.

Business owners are always looking for ways to improve their businesses, and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) is offering certified LGBT businesses the opportunity to do just that.

Whether you're a long-time member of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) or new to the NGLCC family, there will be something for everyone at the National Business and Leadership Conference this fall.

While they all took different routes to helming LGBT chambers, women leaders in the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) family share common missions and passions.

Looking to save on your registration for the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) National Business and Leadership Conference this fall?

LGBT business owners can get to know Kimpton Hotels better, now that the company's LGBT sales team members are joining their local LGBT chambers.

What makes a woman an effective LGBT leader? This and many other questions will be answered in the next National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) Women's Business Initiative (WBI) teleconference call focusing on women and leadership.

The United States prides itself on its diverse culture, and the broad contributions and rich history of Asians and Pacific Islanders to our country adds to its character.

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® convened the leadership of its Council of Chambers and Business Organizations (CCBO) in the nation's capital to discuss issues of importance to the LGBT and allied business community, including LGBT equality legislation now before Congress.

Leaders of LGBT chambers of commerce throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region came together at a recent National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) Council of Chambers and Business Organizations (CCBO) Summit to share ideas and best practices, and left inspired.

Since 2005, the LGBT Business Owner of the Year Award (BOYA) has recognized small business owners for their entrepreneurial spirit, their companies' business performance, innovation and personal service to the community.

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce's® (NGLCC) kick-off and planning reception for the 2010 National Business and Leadership Conference this week was an exciting start to the upcoming festivities this November.

Leaders of LGBT chambers of commerce throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions are scheduled to gather this week to network and share ideas and best practices.

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) is accepting applications for the 2010 NGLCC/Wells Fargo LGBT Business Owner of the Year Award, and is encouraging all LGBT business owners to fill out the application and be recognized for the great work their business is doing in the community.

Rachel Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality, recently talked with BIZ about the role Immigration Equality played in the repeal of the HIV travel ban, the legislators who helped get the ban lifted, and what the repeal means for business in America.

NGLCC's Women's History Month appreciation concludes with a special interview with three influential women in the NGLCC's greater business and chamber community-Ann Dunkin, owner of Vancouver, Wash.-based NGLCC-certified business, AED Consulting LLC; Nicole Carry, business owner and president of Hampton Roads, Va.-based NGLCC affiliate chamber, Hampton Roads Business OutReach; and ally Carolynn Brooks, vice president and chief diversity officer at NGLCC corporate partner, Office Max, whose headquarters is based in Chicago, Ill.

With the Employment Non-Discrimination Act moving through Congress and the profile of LGBT businesses steadily growing, Echelon magazine is hosting its Pride in Business Expo to shine an even brighter light on the LGBT business community.

Since scholar Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week in 1926, and President Gerald Ford expanded the commemoration of African Americans' contributions to a month in 1976, February has provided the United States with an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the rich history and culture of African Americans.

When Jenn Tracz first volunteered for the newly formed NGLCC affiliate, Connecticut Alliance for Business Opportunities (CABO), in the fall of 2007, she told a friend that one day she hoped to be the LGBT chamber's first executive director. In December of 2009, that wish came true.

With the nation's capital as the backdrop, this November, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) will bring together two of its most anticipated and highly regarded annual events.