The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has released the first ever snapshot demonstrating the economic and social impact of America’s leading LGBT business owners and entrepreneurs.
The new report explores the types and sizes of LGBT-owned businesses currently certified by the NGLCC, the number of jobs they create, their geography, and the personal narratives of successful LGBT business owners who reflect the very best about America’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
As of October 2016, 909 businesses are officially certified as LGBT Business Enterprises® (LGBTBEs) by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. The NGLCC is the exclusive, third-party certifying body which verifies that eligible businesses are majority-owned by LGBT individuals.
Each of these NGLCC certified businesses must fulfill these criteria:
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; and
Has been formed as a legal entity in the United States.
By becoming a certified LGBTBE, businesses can create and sustain relationships with America’s leading corporations, generate prospective business and clients, and collectively team with each other for contracting opportunities (Click on images for a larger view).
As corporate America becomes more inclusive and further diversifies its supply chain, certification offers the opportunity for LGBT-owned businesses to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
“These numbers tell the real story,” said Bob Witeck, President of Witeck Communications, a certified LGBTBE that served as the analyst for this report. “LGBT entrepreneurs find inspiration and freedom everywhere we look to create jobs and economic value in America. I think we are just scratching the surface of our potential.”
"The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is elated to be able to evidence through this report what we've observed since our founding fifteen years ago: that America's LGBT business owners are driving our economy upward and deserve every opportunity to keep creating jobs and innovating our industries. The estimated 1.4 million LGBT business owners NGLCC advocates for have truly earned a place at the equality table," said NGLCC Co-Founder & President Justin Nelson. "If you are an LGBT business owner and not yet certified, you're leaving opportunities on the table to help your business and our economy grow. For the LGBT community, this also means we are missing out more accurate data, role models, job creators, and future success stories that prove 'If you can buy it, a Certified LGBTBE can supply it.' "
"At NGLCC, we have nearly 200 corporate and government partners that understand not only the value of the LGBT dollar, but the economic imperative of inclusivity and LGBT visibility in their supply chains and marketplace. This groundbreaking report proves our NGLCC philosophy that economic visibility, just like social visibility, is essential in building a diverse and inclusive society," said NGLCC Co-Founder & CEO Chance Mitchell.
For the full report, download it in its entirety at NGLCC_Report.pdf.
