Promoting Inclusion in the Rainbow Nation; South African Business Owner Reflects on Starting Her Own Business, Business to Business Connections, and the Importance of Perseverance! Affectionately called the “Rainbow Nation,” one could say that South Africa represents the epitome of the modern day struggle for diversity and inclusion, including the fight for LGBT equality. As Africa’s second largest economy, today, South Africa remains one of the continent’s major economic powerhouses and the only country in Africa to decriminalize discrimination based on sexual orientation through its new Constitution in 1996. 

Washington, DC – The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, in collaboration with its partners in the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC), has named the inaugural Best-of-the-Best list of corporations in America committed to diversity and inclusion across all community sectors. 

The National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC) is excited to announce the five finalists for the inaugrural Best-of-the-Best Program or Initiative of the Year Award. This prestigious award was designed to recognize an exemplary program or initiative that was developed to better the lives and opportunities of internal and/or external diverse stakeholders.  The Program or Initiative of the Year impacts the firm in one or more of the following areas: customer service, community service and external engagement, customer programming, or employee inclusion.    This year's finalists are:  

When reflecting on all the achievements we have collectively won for LGBT equality under the Obama Administration, we realize we have come a long way. From repealing Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell to extending protections under the 1964 Civil Rights Act to transgender employees, from passing Assembly Bill AB1678 for LGBT business owners in California to striking down the Defense of Marriage Act, we have certainly seen many incredible advances.