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Weekly Wrap-Up: April 17, 2020

The Weekly Wrap-Up 04/17/20
Your MEMBER ONLY email on all things the Chamber worked on this week
and you need to know about, to get the most of your membership.
Thank you for being a member.
During this time of national crisis, when information and connections are so important,
the Weekly Wrap-Up will be made available to members and non-members.
CEO Brief- ?
To quote the amazing Taylor Swift, 'I don't know about you, but we're feeling twenty-two! Everything will be alright, if you keep us next to you!' That is because the Nashville LGBT Chamber turns 22 years old today. The organization was founded in East Nashville the day after the tornado in 1998. Thanks to all the founders, board members, staff, and most of all the members from all those years. Happy birthday to us! 

We celebrated with our first virtual networking event. Our April Brewing Up Business was Thursday night and we are really happy on how it turned out. We had over 60 participants who heard from members, community groups, and staff, and they then broke into small groups and were able to connect and talk with one another. If you missed it you can watch it online (minus the small group networking) and read more about it below. 

With the success of virtual programming, we are excited to announce a new Connections Program that we are launching. It has been in the works for a while but we are ready to launch it virtually and then will continue it when we are able to meet again in person. We are going to need members to participate and be involved in these programs. Read more below and sign up to share your knowledge with members. 
I really enjoyed my Chamber Chat today with our Intern Jace Wilder. We are saying goodbye and THANK YOU to him as his semester and internship officially ends. The legislative session and internship did not turn out the way any of us expected, but it was good to hear that he learned a lot and enjoyed it. I am so thankful to his help, passion, insight, and perspective during session this year. The interview is a bit long but I think good. Jace shares his views on the internship and about being trans. His bravery and openness will astound you. I appreciate his willingness to step up and educate and advocate. Was not expecting to get emotional, but at the end he got me. You can see my thank you to him here, and you can see our interview here. Thanks again Jace for all the hard work, you will always be a part of the Chamber family and we can't wait to see where you go! 

The week has not been all positives. The suffering is real. The frustration with the response from the government and loan programs is real. I continue to hear from so many members struggling to stay afloat and some to just survive. We are connecting to them to the resources we know of, and I am grateful for the outreach from others offering help and assistance. We will continue to advocate for more funding to be added to the CARES Act and work with local government on reopening.

We are here for you. Let us know how we can help and I hope to see you virtually very soon and in person at some point. Stay healthy. 

Coronavirus Response
The most important thing for small business owners to know about is the assistance programs from the government. There are two main programs out there, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) that is loaned through the SBA, and the Paycheck Protection Program Loan (PPPL) that is loaned through financial institutions. The easiest and best breakdown of what these mean for you has come from the NFIB.

These loans ran out this week and congress should immediately allocate more money. If you have not applied, do so that when and if funds become available your application is in.

We know there is a frustration and concern about the response time and access to these loans. We continue to raise the issues with SBA and the banks, and also with our elected officials.
We are collecting upcoming webinars, town halls, calls, and more on our Upcoming Learning Opportunities page. This is a great resource for anyone navigating the small business loan process, working from home for the first time, or just wanting to connect with the community.
In addition to upcoming learning opportunities, we are adding recordings and follow-up resources from previous webinars. Check these resources frequently for the latest information.
If your organization is hosting a virtual learning opportunity that you would like included on this list, please email Lauren.
We want you to support our members who have moved to delivery, take out, or curbside models. We are updating this page as members continue to adapt and alter their plans.

Check out the special page on our website to find where your next meal is coming from!
We want to support the TASTE vendors who support the Nashville LGBT Chamber!

We have created a special page on the website to highlight new products and services our TASTE vendors are offering at this time.

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The COVID-19 situation changes hour by hour. We are continuing to post updates and connections to resources on our social media. Please follow us there for new and immediate information updates.
During these uncertain times, the Nashville LGBT Chamber stands by you. We know that running a business right now is difficult no matter its size, from gig-workers to small businesses to our corporations, we are all in this together and we are there for you.
Every day, we are  advocating  for our members and working to  educate  and  connect  you to resources, information, and relief. 

Here is a summary of relevant updates from this week: 

Press Releases

Next Week's Webinars

Send us any information or items you would like us to share. Check our website frequently for new info. Connect with us on social to stay up-to-date with information and member news on   Facebook Twitter , and  LinkedIn .
New and Renewing Members
Please join us in welcoming the following business and individuals that joined our Chamber this week:

What We Did
We had a great time connecting with everyone at our Virtual Brewing Up Business last night! Here are some follow-up links:
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Thank you to our special guests for speaking about their businesses:

We hope everyone will join us for our future networking events. See registration details below!
Connections
Connection Programming
We are excited to announce our new Connection Programs . This series includes webinars, networking events, and other educational meetings to help our members and community stay connected and informed while we navigate the 'new normal'. When we come back to being able to meet in person, we will keep these programs going.
Networking Connections - AM Brewing Up Business
To complement our traditional Brewing Up Business, which is held on the third Thursday of every month from 5:30 - 6:30 pm, we will now offer additional morning networking opportunities, AM Brewing Up Business . These events will include a short program of announcements from our chamber's staff and then small group networking. We will break the larger group into small rooms to exchange information and let peers know you are doing at this time. We will break into small groups several times during the event. Please vote for the time(s) that you would prefer to see this event take place by filling out this survey . Register below!
Member Connections
We are proud to kick-off our new program, Member Connections . This event will give an in-depth highlight of one of our corporate members and one of our small business members. We will have a Q&A session and have other attendees speak to the group to check-in with other members. You will have the opportunity to talk about what you are working on, questions or issues you need help with, or anything else you want to address. Please vote for the time(s) that you would prefer to see this event take place by filling out this survey . Register below!
Classroom Connections
Classroom Connections is another new program designed to assist our members and community. Each session will highlight a new topic (LGBTBE certification, navigating PPP and CARES Act, etc.). We want to offer topics that you would find beneficial. Please provide a list of topics you would like to see covered at our Classroom Connections by filling out this survey .

In addition to needing topics for our Classroom Connections series, we would love to utilize the expertise of our members to present at each session. Are you willing to present on a topic you are an expert at? Please provide some details in this survey and we will contact you shortly to schedule your Classroom Connection.
Membership Has Its Perks
We offer many tools to inform visitors about your updated services, hours of operation, volunteer needs, and news and information you are releasing. 

Login to the Member Information Center now and see how easy it is!

Website Directory - If your business has recently adopted take out, curbside, or delivery services, please select our new directory category “Take Out”. We will promote all of these businesses on our social platforms. 

Hot Deals - Use Hot Deals to promote a discount, special, or new service your business offers. 

Job postings - Use the Jobs Board feature to promote any jobs or volunteer opportunities you have. With so many people losing jobs, it’s important for our community to know where they can look for employment.

News Releases - We are sharing member and community news via news releases. Keep members and the public up-to-date on your hours of operation, services you provide, and any other announcements.

Email Lauren if you need assistance logging into your member portal.
Joe Woolley
CEO

Lauren Bland
Membership Manager

Nashville LGBT Chamber
615-507-5185
41 Peabody Street
Nashville, TN 37210
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