By Melissa Lowery Soon after enrolling at the University of Maryland, Hudson Taylor befriended lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in his theatre classes and became increasingly aware of the pain caused by homophobic behavior. After years of witnessing the use of homophobic language and demeaning humor — especially in sports — he knew he
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By T.J. Chernick The ongoing development of corporate alliances has been an ongoing highlight for the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce-New York as it supports the growth and partnerships of LGBT businesses and their corporate allies. The growth of these alliances were celebrated during the chamber’s mixer, co-hosted by the organization’s corporate partners
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Toyota Financial Services hosted an intimate salon dinner for influencers in the LGBT community at Washington D.C.’s Art & Soul Restaurant in advance of the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner. With a longstanding commitment to the LGBT community, Toyota Financial Services held the event as an opportunity to further develop its relationship with the community
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Out & Equal Workplace Advocates held its 16th annual workplace summit at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco. More than 3,000 participants chose among 78 workshops, 12 roundtables and six case study discussions and enjoyed the Outie awards, which honor individuals and companies for outstanding efforts in advancing workplace equality (See list of honorees
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Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inc. hosted its 4th Annual Conference in conjunction with the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals’ Out to Innovate™ 2014 in Atlanta. Held at the Georgia Tech Hotel, the event offered workshops, panel discussions and an awards ceremony. Raytheon Team
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Dr. Steve Kramer is the kind of person who dreams about physics and math, then wakes up and turns those dreams into a viable business plan. “Late in 2005, I was doing consultant work in the software space, and one night I started dreaming about mathematical Bessel functions,” he said. “I was having physics- and
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Maria Contreras-Sweet, SBA Administrator COVER STORY By Melissa Lowery The U.S. Small Business Administration is on a mission to modernize the organization and let small business owners know that they are standing by to provide support at every stage, from startup to expansion to globalization. Recently appointed Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet is leading the
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By Eugene J. Patron, communications & marketing director, Point Foundation @PointFoundation Jorge Valencia, executive director and CEO of Point Foundation (left), accepts a check from Peter Lichtenthal, president of Bumble and bumble, a division of The Estee Lauder Companies. Today, it is easy for people to name celebrities and sports players who have publicly come out as being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. However, every year during the in-person interviews with finalists for Point Foundation’s LGBTQ higher education scholarships, there are young people who say to the review panel, “This is the first time I have met a group of openly gay professionals.” Many of these bright young people from communities around the country have never been introduced to a gay doctor, a lesbian lawyer, a transgender entrepreneur —
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By Jama Shelton, LMSW, Ph.D., Forty To None project director @PagingDrJama Jama Shelton In America, it is estimated that up to 1.6 million youth are homeless each year, and up to 40 percent of them identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Yet, only up to 7 percent of the general youth population does the same. The Forty to None Project is working both proactively and reactively to address the issue and, ultimately, reduce the disproportionate percentage from 40 percent to none. It is asking the business sector to join the effort.
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Laura Spaulding, owner of Spaulding Decon LLC More than 700 LGBT entrepreneurs, corporate partners, government allies and organization leaders from seven countries gathered at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for the sold-out 11th Annual National Business & Leadership Conference of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Shaun T, celebrity fitness trainer and creator of the INSANITY workout and Focus 25, delivered the opening session keynote address. Attendees, who had been encouraged to wear workout attire, were invited to take advantage of a special workout afterwards. Other keynote speakers included Beth Brooke-Marciniak, global vice chair of public policy, Ernst & Young LLP, and one of Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women; Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO, Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises LLC, and host of CNBC’s “The Profit”; and Judy Dlugacz, founder and president, The Olivia Cos. LLC.
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