Chamber Leadership Alliance Adds New Collaborative Partners from the Disability and Veteran Communities
June 1, 2019
Washington, DC -- The Chamber Leadership Alliance (CLA), an alliance of diverse chambers of commerce, continues to expand its partnerships with leading diversity organizations by welcoming Disability:IN and the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) to its collaborative roster. The CLA will also partner with organizations representing women business owners and entrepreneurs.
The Chamber Leadership Alliance is a collaboration between the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Black Chambers Inc., the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation. Wells Fargo is the exclusive sponsor of the CLA’s Chamber Leadership Development Program.
"Diverse businesses are growing across the United States," said Regina Heyward, senior vice president and head of supplier diversity at Wells Fargo. "Through the Chamber Leadership Development Program, Wells Fargo sees an opportunity to strengthen diverse leaders within the small business community and to support local chambers in capacity building."
“The Chamber Leadership Alliance is proud to welcome Disability:IN, NaVOBA, and other future partners that reflect the rich diversity of America’s economy. Together we prove that when communities of color do better, so do we all. When women and LGBT do better, so do we all. And when people with disabilities and veterans do better, so do we all! We will continue building bridges of inclusion and opportunity. Economics – all of our economics – is the tool we have to fight discrimination and defend American ideals,” said the CLA organization leaders in a joint statement. “With stronger diverse chambers and business advocacy organizations across America that represent all of our communities, we are able to provide more opportunity for local diverse business owners, concurrently strengthening local economies and increasing the ability for diverse business owners to scale their enterprises —underscoring our importance to the small business engine that makes the U.S. economy run.”
The diverse business communities represented by the alliance of chambers account for an annual estimated contribution of more than $3 trillion to the U.S. economy. Their first initiative, the Chamber Leadership Development Program, is aimed at educating and developing leaders of diverse state and local chambers of commerce to support diverse entrepreneurs. The program also will include university partners and will advance more than 400 chamber leaders through innovative programming designed to empower chamber leaders to better serve their local communities of diverse businesses.
In 2019, the program will be offered to chamber leaders at the conferences of each of the alliance of diverse chambers organizations. The first Chamber Leadership Development Program was successfully held at the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation CelebrASIAN Procurement + Business Conference in Houston, TX, on June 4–5. Upcoming training sessions will be at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce International Business and Leadership Conference in Tampa, FL, from August 12–13; the U.S. Black Chambers National Conference in National Harbor, MD, from August 19–20; and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce National Convention in Albuquerque, NM, from September 28–29.
In addition to these in-person sessions, there will be two virtual sessions in 2019.
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For additional information, please contact:
Akriti Rana
Program Manager, Chamber Leadership Alliance (CLA)
info@chamberleadershipalliance.org
p. 1.202.318.0637 | f. 1.202.234.9185
About Wells Fargo:
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,800 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 37 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 259,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.
About the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce:
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses, known as LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs). www.nglcc.org
About the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.:
The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) provides committed, visionary leadership and advocacy in the realization of economic empowerment. Through the creation of resources and initiatives, we support African American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises. www.usblackchambers.org
About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce:
The USHCC actively promotes the economic growth, development, and interests of more than 4.37 million Hispanic-owned businesses, that combined, contribute over $700 billion to the American economy every year. It also advocates on behalf of 260 major American corporations and serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local chambers and business associations nationwide. www.ushcc.co
About the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation:
Founded in 1984, USPAACC promotes, nurtures and propels economic growth by opening doors to procurement, educational and professional opportunities for Pan Asian Americans and their business partners in corporate America, the federal, state and local governments, and the small and minority business communities in the United States, and the Asia-Pacific and Indian Subcontinent regions. www.uspaacc.com
About Disability: IN:
Disability:IN is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. Partnering with more than 190 corporations, Disability:IN expands opportunities for people with disabilities across enterprises. The organization and 50 affiliates raise a collective voice of positive change for people with disabilities in business. Through its programs and services, Disability:IN empowers businesses to achieve disability inclusion and equality, with the goal of advancing inclusion to the point when the organization is no longer necessary. https://disabilityin.org
About NaVOBA:
NaVOBA is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed and led by Corporate America. NaVOBA’s mission is to create corporate contracting opportunities for America’s Veteran’s and Service-Disabled Veteran’s Business Enterprises (VBEs/SDVBEs) through certification, advocacy, outreach, recognition and education. https://navoba.org/
