A Seat at the Table

Fighting for equality with commerce and equity, the NGLCC leads the way for LGBTQ+ business owners.

BY JACK LEMNUS PHOTOS BY TAMARA FLEMING

n the onset of his career in Washington, D.C., Justin Nelson joined the “undercurrent” of LGBTQ professionals who greased the gears of Capitol Hill. A self-proclaimed political junkie, Nelson was at the table for conversations that impacted millions of Americans.

This was the 90s, however, and to be in the room meant to be in the closet.

But while Nelson reconciled with his own sexual identity, once in that room, he would hold the door open for thousands of LGBTQ professionals. Later, he would help calcify the community’s rst commercial backbone: the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. “I know what it feels like to bottle yourself up for so many years, and no one should have to hide their identity to get a job,” Nelson said. “We wanted to be the yin to the yang of the social justice movement and build an economic justice movement.”

He started his career on the Hill as an aid to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, where he learned the powerful sway of commerce to e ect change. He witnessed the various chambers of commerce buoy their partners and lend voice to their stakeholders.

One chamber particularly in uenced Nelson: The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which provides an economic identity for the Hispanic community. Its success made him wonder, “If only there was something similar for the LGBTQ space.”

“You can really empower a community with economics, and at the time, there was no LGBTQ organization focused on commerce,” Nelson said. “And on the Hill, I learned you can’t have equality if you don’t equity, and you can’t have equity if you don’t have opportunity.”

That thought resurfaced during Nelson’s career shift as a healthcare lobbyist—a profession he held before it became a “dirty word,” he said. It was the early 2000s, and Nelson and his business partner, Chance Mitchell, wanted to create a community networking platform for gay and lesbian professionals. During one of their routine business meetings, their attorney recommended they get the endorsement of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Nelson looked at Mitchell. “Well, there isn’t one,” they said to the lawyer. Once again, they noticed a gaping absence.

Nelson and Mitchell irted with the idea of starting their own chamber, but they only talked about it between meetings, phone calls, over lunch. Time went on. Then an article surfaced in the Washington Blade, the title taunting them: “Why we need a national gay and lesbian chamber of commerce.”

“When we saw that come out, we thought, ‘If we don’t do this now, we’re going to get scooped on it,’” Nelson said. “The time was right, there was a need, and it wasn’t being done.”

The two convened in Nelson’s D.C. apartment and drafted their thoughts into a press release. The pressure lingered in the room, but they didn’t have time to think.

On that November evening in 2002, with only their collective experiences and ambitions to back them, they sent out the press release, marking the start to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. “Sometimes you just have to jump,” he said.

Today, the NGLCC has 27 a liates on ve continents — an astonishing feat considering the Congressional Equality Caucus didn’t even exist when Nelson and Mitchell sent out that press release over 20 years ago.

When former President Barack Obama took o ce in 2009 at the onset of the Great Recession, the NGLCC had a seat at the table along with the president’s team and Fortune 50 CEOs tasked with repairing the economy. “That’s when you really start to e ect change —when you have a common goal,” he said. “Then you can start persuading ve, 10, 20 leaders to believe in your mission.”

The NGLCC believes the huge, untapped commercial potential of the LGBTQ community is enough to open dialogues with various interests. In 2020, about 4.5% of the U.S. population identi ed as LGBTQ, but they accounted for 8% of the country’s disposable income —that’s around $1.7 trillion, according to the consulting rm Kearney. And that economic might doesn’t stop at consumers: The NGLCC recorded 1.4 million LGBTQ business owners.

All combined, the LGBTQ community would make up the fourth largest economy in the U.S., after California, Texas and New York. “You can’t not do business with the fourth largest economy in the country,” Nelson said.

NGLCC

The NGLCC is a non-pro t organization and the exclusive certifying body for LGBTQ-owned businesses, known as LGBT Business Enterprises. The LGBTBE certi cation comes with resources, advocation and connections to business partners all over the world. This helps corporate and government partners source LGBTQ-owned products and services.

It also serves as a networking hub for businesses, which includes events like the International Business & Leadership Conference and the National Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Wells Fargo joined over 20 years ago and was the chamber’s rst nancial partner. For its e orts, such as scholarships for transgender individuals and support for LGBTQowned businesses, Wells Fargo was named the NGLCC’s 2023 Corporation of the Year.

“Today, our partnership includes programs that empower LGBTQ+ suppliers, invest in the growth of business owners’ capabilities, and champion a liate chambers across the country,” said Robert Schapira, the Wells Fargo Director of Small Business Diverse Segments. “Thanks to our joint e orts in 2022 and 2023, we helped the NGLCC support more than 30 transgender business owners on their way to LGBTBE certi cation.”

But the response to the NGLCC’s mission hasn’t all been positive. When Nelson and Mitchell rst pitched their idea, there were many in their own community who thought a monetary focus would distract from the push for social justice. Others simply found it distasteful to quantify the value of a community.

In the beginning, these criticisms sunk deep for Nelson —he often dwelled on the perception of others, he said. But during the Covid-19 pandemic, he had time to re ect, and he realized the goals of equity and inclusion far outweighed the discomfort of combating the status quo.

One example is when they rang the closing bell on the 2007 stock exchange. They received pushback from some in the LGBTQ community as they established closer ties with Wall Street. “Some people might look down on what we’re doing, but we found common ground with an industry that you don’t often perceive as inclusive,” Nelson said.

“As long as it produces the outcome that we’re seeking —a level playing eld, equity and equality— so be it.”

There’s plenty of resistance from outside the community too. As anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policy devours the politics of states like Florida and Texas, businesses face increasing scrutiny when they pursue more inclusive marketing campaigns and business partnerships.

Some companies falter under the pressure when conservative legislators and pundits proclaim, “go woke, go broke.” A recent example is when Bud Light backed out of a marketing campaign that sponsored the TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney, who is transgender. Conservatives called for a boycott, and Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, later reported that its U.S. revenue in the second quarter fell more than 10% compared to last year. Anheuser-Busch is a partner with the NGLCC, and its choice to drop the in uencer likely exacerbated the negative public response, Nelson said. He argued that if Anheuser-Bush had stood by their decision, the fallout would have been minimal.

“The toll on disengaging with the in uencer and the larger community was problematic and could have been handled better,” he said. “We have a very loud, vocal, extreme minority. You can’t bow to them. If you're not going to have the backbone to stand up, then you should rethink your marketing strategy.”

But Nelson isn’t deterred by incidents like these. He tries to focus on how far the country has come. It would have ba ed his teenage self to know he would help start a queer organization with partners in every major U.S. city. Looking back on their achievements, he doesn’t plan to succumb to a little political pressure.

As Nelson recounted his journey with the NGLCC, he noted the rejuvenating power of re ection and gratitude. On the cusp of workaholism, he now rations his time to enjoy the little things. One of them is his new partner, with whom he escapes into the mountains or out on the boat. December will be their rst anniversary.

“It’s great to complement my professional life with a personal life that’s also quite ful lling,” he said. “I’d wish the same for anyone.”

Are You LGBTBE ® Certified?

LGBTQ+ businesses can bid on sourcing contracts with NGLCC partners by becoming Certified LGBT Business Enterprise®. These Corporate and Government Partners are dedicated to establishing a diversified supply chain that includes LGBTQ-owned firms. To access these billion-dollar, potentially life-changing business possibilities, one must first get certified.

Additional Benefits

• Acknowledgment on a national level as a Certified LGBTBE® supplier

• Exhibit space at regional gatherings and the yearly NGLCC International Business and Leadership Conference

• Automatic registration in the NGLCC's online directory of accredited companies, available to NGLCC Corporate Partners

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• Permission to use the NGLCC Certified Business logo on marketing materials.

• Access to NGLCC scholarships, leadership development courses, and mentoring programs

• Qualification for the Communities of Color Initiative (CoCi) and the Transgender & Gender Expansive (TGX) Initiative

Congrats

TO THE BOYS OF POPWRAPPED ON 25-BILLION SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS! FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT SOTOMAYER MEDIA