Volume 29 | April 9, 2020
Responding to the Coronavirus – COVID-19
Members and Supporters,

What an understatement to say that March has been a challenging month. As we deal with COVID-19, our goal is to provide our members with resources and information to help you navigate in this very difficult time.

How is the Chamber responding? We are continuing to update the COVID-19 Resource Page , Facebook Member Group , weekly COVID-19 email updates, adding new webinars, sharing relevant blog posts from our Chamber Members and now rolling out ChamberCares.
What is ChamberCares?  We have launched ChamberCares to help connect need with supply. Many of our generous members are providing a way to support our healthcare workers and first responders on the front lines. What do they need? Food!

Order from any of our Chamber Members and direct your order to healthcare workers or first responders of your choosing. If you are unsure of where to direct your order, please consider donating your order to Chamber Member, Legacy Community Health . Legacy is on the frontline responding to this crisis in many ways including COVID-19 testing.

How can you help? Two ways!

  1. Check out the participating Chamber Members via the ChamberCares page at https://www.houstonlgbtchamber.com/chamber-cares/ and place your order to support healthcare workers or first responders.
  2. Help us promote the ChamberCares campaign by sharing on social media and through your networks.

We are proud to partner with our sister LGBT Chambers, in Austin, North Texas and San Antonio for the ChamberCares campaign.

#WeAreAlIInThisTOGETHER
Tammi Wallace
Co-Founder & Board Chair
BANK OF AMERICA ACCEPTING PPP APPLICATIONS
We are incredibly proud of our corporate partner, Bank of America . Check out the message from Hong Ogle, Market President Houston.

“On Friday, April 3, Bank of America became the first major financial services institution to begin executing on the federal Paycheck Protection Program, a federal program administered by the U.S. Treasury and Small Business Administration. Bank of America’s role is to help execute that program according to federal rules and protocols.

For our launch, we began taking applications from our 1 million small business clients who have a business deposit and business credit relationship with us. As their bank and their lender, we have knowledge about these clients that will help ensure a quick application process. That was our experience this first day.

Since Friday, we’ve assisted more than 183,000 Small Business owners and have received over $33 billion in applications from this group of clients.

We are expanding our process to address the needs of a larger group of small business clients, who have a transaction account but do not have a credit or borrowing relationship with us or another bank.     

My teammates and I are proud of the role we are playing in the war on the virus that the world is waging. Our job is to take care of our teammates – and we are – and to help the clients and communities we serve get through this.

As always, please be in touch with me if there is anything I can do to be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Hong Ogle
Market President
Houston”

Thank you BofA! 

Existing BofA clients can find information about applying for the Paycheck Protection Program here .
TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES NEEDED
The Greater Houston Partnership is beginning work this week to connect school districts with technology resources their students need to continue their education online. If you or your business have any available technology resources such as laptops, computers, tablets, or cellphones that you would be willing to donate to a local school district, we request that you contact Ben Melson, Director of Public Policy, at [email protected] .
REGISTER FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS

Due to COVID-19, the Chamber has moved all events for April and May to an online format.

  • April 10: SBA COVID-19 Information Webinars
  • April 15: NGLCC Webinar: Being A Consciously Inclusive Leader
  • April 15: How To Be Prepared: Holographic Will Webinar
  • April 16: Webinar: Communicating During a Crisis
  • April 16: Chamber Connect - Virtual Networking
  • April 22: LGBTBE Roundtable & Certification 101 Workshop at Amegy Bank - POSTPONED
  • April 30: Biz Connect Mixer - SESH COWORKING EVENT POSTPONED; NOW ONLINE
  • May 13: Brewing Up Business - BETH WOLFF REALTORS EVENT POSTPONED; NOW ONLINE
  • May 28: Biz Connect Mixer - NOW ONLINE

While we know meeting virtually is not optimal, it does create needed connection for our membership. We look forward to seeing you on Zoom!

If you have an idea for an upcoming webinar please email [email protected] or if would like to present, please complete the Program Proposal Form .
MARCH EVENTS RECAP
Thank you to our corporate partner, Poggenpohl , for hosting our March Brewing Up Business event. Check out the event photos.
Much appreciation to Jessica Eiseman, MS, LPC-S, NCC , Owner and Clinical Director with Chamber Member, Ajana Therapy & Clinical Services and Tim Jeffcoat , Houston District Director with our strategic partner, U.S. Small Business Administration for participating in our Chamber Support Group Webinar.
Thank you to our corporate partner, Regions Bank , for hosting a webinar, Managing Your Money.
The Chamber hosted an informative and timely webinar, “Emerging Issues Around Contracts, Insurance Policies and Employees Related to COVID-19,” presented by Mark Deaton, J.D ., with Chamber Member, Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, PC . Thank you Mark for sharing your expertise. The slide deck is available for this presentation.
INNER CITY CAPITAL CONNECTIONS PROGRAM
COMING TO HOUSTON
Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) is a tuition-free executive leadership training program designed by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) to help business owners in under-resourced communities build capacity for sustainable growth in revenue, profitability, and employment. ICCC is uniquely designed to provide three critical elements for sustainable growth:

  • Capacity-building education
  • One-on-one coaching
  • Connections to capital and capital providers

ICCC is coming to the Houston for the first time in 2020 thanks to lead sponsor and our Corporate Partner, Regions Bank . Texas is home to 144 ICCC alumni, and since their participation they have averaged 126% growth in revenue, created 1,101 jobs, and raised $53.9M in capital.

Apply for the 2020 Houston Cohort

Are you a business owner from Houston and surrounding communities looking to build capacity, get access to capital and contracts, and hire more employees? Then apply to participate in ICCC today ! The application deadline is Friday, May 22.

Thank you to our Corporate Partner, Regions Bank, for your investment in this ICCC program and for your support of the LGBTQ & Allied Business Community!
THANK YOU RENEWING CORPORATE PARTNERS
Thank you to our generous Corporate Partners who have renewed their support and investment in the Chamber!
GOLD LEVEL
BRONZE LEVEL
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
The Chamber is proud to welcome our newest members who joined in recent weeks. Thank you for supporting the Chamber and the LGBTQ & Allied Business Community!
THANK YOU RENEWING MEMBERS
Thank you to the following members who have renewed their membership. We appreciate your continued support of the Chamber!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST
LGBTBE ® CERTIFIED MEMBERS!
Congratulations to the following Chamber members who have received their LGBTBE ® certification!


Learn more about the how your business can become LGBTBE ® certified.
NONPROFIT MEMBER HIGHLIGHT
This month we are highlighting one of our nonprofit members, Legacy Community Health . Legacy is on the front lines with COVID-19 including handling testing.
Legacy has also responded by offering to deliver medications for free, providing telehealth option for pediatric behavioral health patients, FREE rapid response HIV, STD & Pregnancy Testing, PLUS Same-day PREP at Legacy Midtown Main.

Check out Legacy’s recent blog post – Navigating the Trans Experience During Coronavirus/COVID-19 . 

Thank you to the Legacy team for all you are doing during this crisis to help the community! We are proud to support Legacy through ChamberCares .
GOLD CORPORATE PARTNERS
SILVER CORPORATE PARTNERS
BRONZE CORPORATE PARTNERS
FOUNDING MEMBERS
PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE MEMBERS
Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce | 832-510-3002 | [email protected] | houstonlgbtchamber.com