National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Unveils Star-Studded “Best-of-the-Best” Gala Celebrating Diversity in Business

WASHINGTON, D.C.--()--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) and co-hosts the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, will host the inaugural black-tie Best-of- the-Best Awards in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, April 26, 2016. A bi-partisan group of progressive lawmakers, minority business innovators, corporate trailblazers, and celebrity guests will celebrate triumphs for diversity & inclusion in business.

Honorees include Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Leader; Charlie Baker, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and Tony Coelho, former U.S. Congressman and primary sponsor of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Companies with supplier-diversity programs that utilize LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE®) suppliers and other certified diverse-owned suppliers have been nominated for Program of the Year and Corporation of the Year. Washington Post columnist & MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart will emcee the gala; Ali Stroker, the first actress in a wheelchair to star on a Broadway stage, will sing the National Anthem.

“Never before has such a gathering of game-changers been assembled to celebrate the great strides taken to make the American Dream accessible to all,” said NGLCC President & Co-Founder Justin Nelson. “The Best-of-the-Best summit and awards gala not only highlights the work being done for America’s estimated 1.4 million LGBT business owners, many of whom are people of color, women, and people with disabilities, but also brings together the broader diversity community in our common, ongoing mission to improve business inclusion among Fortune 500 corporations and government agencies nationwide.”

The Best-of-the-Best awards gala and summit will bring together two distinct groups of corporate attendees: diversity champions and government affairs leaders. During the day attendees will participate in discussions including members of Congress and executives from the nation’s leading business diversity organizations on topics of federal economic policy that affect both small businesses and Fortune 500 corporations. The event will also feature a roundtable discussion on diversity and inclusion policies across all diverse segments. This one-of-a-kind event will culminate with the first annual NBIC Best-of-the-Best Awards gala that evening.

“The enthusiasm for this inaugural events is electric,” said NGLCC CEO & Co-Founder Chance Mitchell. “This event is being talked about all over town as ‘The Correspondents Dinner of Diversity’ for the caliber of dignitaries, business leaders, and celebrities eager to take part in the largest, most exciting celebration of diversity in business ever assembled. The Best-of-the-Best will be a night to remember, and is sure to become the must-attend event among public and private sector leaders.”

Other members of the National Business Inclusion Consortium include: The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC), National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and WEConnect International. NGLCC created the National Business Inclusion Consortium in 2011, and its diverse members represent a total of over $9 trillion in annual consumer spending power and significant contributions to the marketplace and workplace.

ABOUT NGLCC:

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global not-for-profit advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses. www.nglcc.org

CONGRESSIONAL HOST COMMITTEE INCLUDES:

Rep. Ami Bera, Rep. Robert A. Brady, Rep. Tony Cárdenas, Rep. David N. Cicilline, Rep. Katherine Clark, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rep. Joseph Crowley, Rep. Diana DeGette, Rep. Suzan DelBene, Rep. Ted Deutch, Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Elizabeth H. Esty, Sen. Robert J. Dole, Rep. Lois Frankel, Rep. Ruben Gallego, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez, Rep. Janice Hahn, Rep. Joe Heck, Rep. Jim Himes, Rep. Mike Honda, Rep. Jared Huffman, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III, Rep. Dan Kildee, Former Rep. Jim Kolbe, Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, Rep. Jim Langevin, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Alan Lowenthal, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Rep. Grace Meng, Rep. Gwen Moore, Rep. Seth Moulton, Rep. Patrick E. Murphy, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., Rep. Scott Peters, Rep. Chellie Pingree, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, Rep. Adam B. Schiff, Rep. Krysten Sinema, Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, Rep. Jackie Speier, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. Paul D. Tonko, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Juan Vargas, and Rep. Marc Veasey.

Contacts

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
Jonathan Lovitz, 954-695-5896
Vice President of External Affairs
jlovitz@nglcc.org

Release Summary

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and its partners in the National Business Inclusion Consortium will host the inaugural black-tie Best-of- the-Best Awards in Washington, DC April 26th.

Contacts

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
Jonathan Lovitz, 954-695-5896
Vice President of External Affairs
jlovitz@nglcc.org