Are You Ready to Get Your Business LGBTBE® Certified?

Are You Ready to Get Your Business LGBTBE^® certified?

By Tammi Wallace, Co-Founder, President and CEO

Did you know that if your business is 51% or more LGBT owned that you may qualify for LGBTBE^® certification? You read that right! Your business can get certified as an LGBT owned business. 

What does LGBTBE^® stand for? Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Business Enterprise as defined by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). The LGBTBE^® certification program helps remove barriers and increase access to strategic growth opportunities for America’s LGBT business owners. 

Hundreds of Fortune 500 companies are actively looking to do business with LGBT owned businesses such as our Chamber Corporate Partners including Bank of America, Chevron, Comcast, Shell and United. These companies have committed to including diverse businesses as part of their supplier diversity initiatives including LGBT owned businesses. 

We are proud to collaborate with the NGLCC on the LGBTBE^® certification. As the certifying body for the LGBTBE^® certification, the NGLCC will waive the certification fee if your business is a member of the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber. Such a win-win! Membership is local and certification is national. You receive all the benefits of the local chamber and a certification that extends to possible business opportunities across the country.

To be eligible for certification:

• Majority (at least 51%) owned, operated, managed, and controlled by an LGBT person or persons who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents
• Exercises independence from any non-LGBT business enterprise
• Has its principal place of business (headquarters) in the United States
• Has been formed as a legal entity in the United States

As an LGBTBE^® certified business, you have access to other LGBTBE^® certified businesses across the country for B2B collaboration and engagement as well as NGLCC corporate partners. In addition, you’ll have access to special events, such as the International Business & Leadership Conference, where you are eligible for a reduced conference registration rate and other training opportunities.

In addition, as a member of the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber, your business will be recognized as an LGBTBE^® certified business in the Chamber Directory, eligible to participate in the LGBTBE^® Roundtable Program and have access to our local corporate partners who place a high priority on building a diverse supply chain.  

Are you ready to get your business LGBTBE^® certified?  

Step 1: Join the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber to be eligible to have the LGBTBE^® certification fee waived (and get all of the benefits of membership!). Complete your membership application here.

Step 2: Complete your LGBTBE^® certification via the NGLCC’s website:  https://www.nglcc.org/get-certified

Check out the Chamber’s “How To Get LGBTBE^® Certified” webinar recording and learn more about this certification exclusively for LGBT owned businesses.

Gaining Access

The LGBTBE^® certification is about giving access to contracting opportunities for the LGBT business community. Ultimately, this is about economic empowerment and inclusion and ensuring that the LGBT community has access to economic opportunities. The bottom line is that our economy simply does not work without full participation!   Social progress cannot be achieved without economic progress and we are working at the Chamber every day to create economic opportunities for the LGBT business community including collaborating with the NGLCC on the LGBTBE^® certification.