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Weekly Wrap-Up: February 22, 2019

We hope you all stayed relatively dry this week. There are a lot of important things coming up with the Chamber. Take a look!

 

Legislative Update-

 

The Business License to Discriminate bill is up for a vote on Tuesday. This bill takes tools away from government in its contracting, grant-making, and procurement processes. If a company or nonprofit has a non-discrimination policy, state and local governments would not be able to reward a company with good policies. It also restricts their ability to ensure companies do not discriminate in their business practices.

 

One of our community partners, the Tennessee Equality Project, is organizing opponents of this bill to attend Tuesday’s committee. Tell the House Business Subcommittee to vote NO on the bill using the form at this link. If you are interested in attending, wear RED to the subcommittee meeting. The subcommittee meets in House Hearing Room 3.  That is on the first floor of the Cordell Hull Building.

 

Brewing Up Business-

 

 

Our February Brewing Up Business will be on the 28th! You do not want to miss this fun event! We will be networking and playing in their Space Chase exhibit. This will be a perfect chance to get out of the house during winter. Shovann Backus of the Stiletto Chef will be catering! 

We will also hear from the Adventure Science Center on what they are working on and we will discuss the executive order on LGBT Certification and the Business Awards! Find out more info and register here

 

Excellence in Business Awards-

 

 

The Nashville LGBT Chamber is proud to invite you to its annual business awards lunch event on Friday, May 3, 2019, 11 am - 1 pm, at one of our newest members, the beautiful JW Marriott Nashville. 

 

Tickets and sponsorships are going fast. We have an incredible opportunity for someone to be the Presenting sponsor! Get ahold of us quickly to lock in branding this amazing event. 

 

You can purchase tickets and become a sponsor now! 

 

Member tickets are $65. For this year’s Excellence in Business Awards, we will be offering several sponsorship opportunities. Not only will you be sponsoring the event itself, but each award category will have a direct sponsor. There are only 7 sponsor opportunities and half of these are already sold. Move fast if you are interested! 

 

For an added value over regular ticket purchases, you may also choose to host half and whole tables. All of these opportunities are clearly outlined in our Excellence in Business Awards Prospectus

 

We need your help! We have to give awards to somebody and you get to tell us who is deserving. We are now collecting nominations for the awards. Please use this form to nominate a company, small business, friend, co-worker, boss, spouse, peer, mentor, mentee, or yourself for an award from the LGBT Chamber. We will accept nominations through March 15th. 

 

We will announce all finalists at our Brewing Up Business program on March 21st. Please send as many deserving nominees as you want in the following categories:

  • Corporate Diversity

  • Small Business Diversity

  • Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Ally Award

  • Business Leader of the Year

  • Community Service Award

  • Leadership in the Arts

You do not want to miss this event! Reach out to Lauren Bland if you have questions.

 

Second Annual Southern LGBTQ Health Symposium- 

The Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health is hosting its Second Annual Southern LGBTQ Health Symposium on Saturday, March 2, 2019. The program will engage providers, students, and community members throughout the region on a variety of topics to better serve sexual and gender minority patients and families. To register and to see the event schedule, visit this link.

 

As a member or friend of the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, you are welcome to register using the “free” student ticket. If you have any questions about the event, email lgbtq.health@vumc.org.

 

HRC Equality Dinner- 

 

 

Our community partner HRC Nashville and many of our members are hosting the 24th Annual Nashville Equality Dinner! It's coming next Saturday, March 2nd. 

 

Grammy & CMA Award winner Jennifer Nettles will be presented with the Ally for Equality Award and Nashville favorite and our member, The Belcourt Theatre, will receive the Community Equality Award. 

Grab your tickets now! Use code CMTE19 for a special rate. 

 

(Although, if volunteering is more your speed, click here)

 

Big Payback 2019

 

 

Save the Date! The Big Payback is May 2, 2019!

 

On Thursday, Lauren attended The Big Payback Training Session for 2019. The Big Payback is a community-wide, 24-hour online giving challenge hosted by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. This charitable event will help area nonprofits, like the Nashville LGBT Chamber Foundation, raise much-needed dollars and bring awareness to pressing needs in our community.

 

Be on the lookout for our campaign to kickoff! 

 

 

I had a great vacay at the beach. Thanks to Lauren and the board for keeping everything going. And a big thanks to Ron Sanford, it was his beachside condo that we stayed at in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We purchased it at an auction benefiting Nashville PRIDE. Ron generously donates this incredible place to the Chamber as well, we have two lucky groups that got it at TASTE this year and will be going down soon. You all should be on the lookout for it at an auction! Thank you for your generosity Ron! 

 

 

- Joe

 

Joe Woolley

CEO

Nashville LGBT Chamber

 

 

 

 

 

 

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