LGBTBusinessLeadershipSummitConvenesinSacramento
WesternBusinessAlliancerepresents2700+businesses,7states
March18,SACRAMENTO—TheWesternBusinessAlliance,aregionalorganizationofLGBT
chambersofcommercerepresentingmorethan2,700LGBT-ownedandsupportivebusinessesinseven
states,metforthefirsttimeinSacramentothisweekfortheorganization’sannualLeadershipConference.
LGBTchambersfromSeattle,Tacoma,PalmSprings,LosAngeles,LongBeach,SiliconValley,San
FranciscoandSacramentowererepresentedatthethree-dayconferenceattheCrownePlazaHotelin
Sacramento.
“WeareproudtohosttheWesternBusinessAllianceannualconferenceinthecapitalofoneofthe
world’slargesteconomies,California,”saidPaulWeubbe,presidentoftheSacramentoRainbowChamberof
Commerce,whichrepresentsLGBTbusinessownersandprofessionalsinasix-countyregion.
Theconferenceagendaincludedleadershipandorganizationaloperationstraining,allowing
chamberstoshareandadoptbestpractices,butalsogaveregionalbusinessleadersanopportunitytodiscuss
anddevelopbig-picturestrategiesaddressingchallengesimpactingeconomicdevelopmentandthesmall
businessenvironment,saidLouiseChernin,presidentandCEOoftheGreaterSeattleBusinessAssociation,
whichrepresents1,100members.Attoday’ssession,conferenceparticipantsdiscussedhowLGBTchambers
canprovideleadershipinaddressinghomelessness,whichchallengesmanyofthecitiesrepresented,and
brainstormedideasforaregionalLGBTeconomicsummit.
“ThemostimportantbenefitofourWBAconferencesistobringustogethertoshareourknowledge
andexperience,leveragingthepowerofLGBTQbusinessleaderstoprovidestrengthtoourcommunities,”
Cherninsaid.
AbouttheRainbowChamberofCommerceSiliconValley
Establishedin1999togiveexposuretotheLGBTbusinesscommunity,theRainbowChamberof
CommerceSiliconValleyisthelargestnot-for-profitcorporationinSiliconValleyforLGBTbusinesses
comprisedofLGBTandLGBT-supportivebusinessownersandprofessionals.Foradditionalinformation,visit
www.rainbowchamber.org.
MEDIACONTACT:
[email protected]
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