Since 2002, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) has been instrumental in promoting the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Intersex (LGBTI) community’s economic strength and growth potential.
Founded on a goal of building an organization that could support LGBTI business owners and showcase the LGBTI community’s diversity of talent, the NGLCC has exceeded expectations primarily due to a pro-active membership and board of directors.
As a dedicated advocate of LGBTI inclusion policies and practices, Shell has long maintained a solid, mutually beneficial alliance with the NGLCC, which collaborates with Shell to connect with and develop suppliers to further diversify Shell’s supply chains and ensure integration from the top down.
In 2014, Shell joined with another of the NGLCC’s corporate partners, Chevron, to enlist Premium Resource, a supplier of custom logos, apparel and other merchandise, to create branded products for the 2014 NGLCC National Business and Leadership Conference in Las Vegas. Chevron and Shell co-sponsored the refueling stations to keep everyone hydrated, and with only one week to fulfill the request, Premium Resource successfully created and delivered water bottles bearing Chevron, Shell and NGLCC logos.
NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson recently reflected on the difference that Shell — alongside other allies of the LGBTI community — has made to the cause of global LGBTI economic and social progress. “Governments, multinational corporations and small businesses each play a role in the critical connection between LGBTI human rights and economic development,” Nelson said. “As nations move toward greater inclusion and opportunity, the result is a proven boost in a national economic output.”
More recently, Shell joined several of the NGLCC’s other corporate partners at the “OUT in the Global Economy” seminar organized by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and Royal Dutch Shell during the recent LGBTI Business Week Conference in Washington D.C.
Shell General Manager IT Trading and Supply Genny Winter who represented Shell on the “OUT in the Global Economy” first-ever panel, said Shell values the NGLCC’s worldwide role as a consistent and progressive organization.
“The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has made a lasting impact and has brought much attention to the economic strength and success of the LGBTI business community,” Winter said. “We value the progress the NGLCC has made in raising the standards of equality and opportunities for leading LGBTI business owners and entrepreneurs.”
Meanwhile, Shell is earning greater recognition as an active and consistent force for LGBTI issues on many other fronts, Winter added. “In the US, we support the Human Rights Campaign and local organizations such as Unity, a transgender group,” she said. “We also support the Houston chapter of the NGLCC.”
Shell also backs Workplace Pride and hosted the organization’s conference a few years ago. In all regions, Shell has employees walking in the Pride Parades. “This is being a good community builder for our LGBTI and ALLY employees and also provides a very visible show of support to the community,” said Winter.
For years, Shell has consistently earned a 100 percent score on the Corporate Equality Index, something Shell’s leadership cites as a sign of sustained progress and an inspiration for further achievements. The Human Rights Campaign annually publishes the Corporate Equality Index, a recognized benchmark for major U.S. businesses’ adoption and maintenance of inclusive practices and benefits for LGBTI employees
“Shell’s international stature as a leader in LGBTI equality has to be reflected in our company culture,” said Elaine DeCanio, Change Manager, Continuous Improvement for Shell Global Solutions. “It’s a matter of making sure all Shell employees know why equality matters to LGBTI and non-LGBTI employees alike.”
###
ABOUT NGLCC:
The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC represents the interests of America’s 1.4 million LGBT business owners and is the exclusive certification body for Certified LGBT Business Enterprises (Certified LGBTBEs®). www.nglcc.org | @NGLCC
MEDIA CONTACT:
