Volume 23 | October 18, 2019
October Chamber News
OCTOBER IS A BUSY MONTH!
October is a busy month…from LGBTQ History Month to National Coming Out Day on Oct 11 to the Chamber Halloween Happy Hour on Oct. 31 (more details below) and more! 

Did You Know?

LGBTQ History Month is celebrated every October to recognize the history and contributions of the LGBTQ community.

National Coming Out Day is held every year on October 11 and celebrates the powerful act of coming out. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is only one in 10. The Chamber is proud to recognize LGBTQ History Month and National Coming Out Day!
 
Don't miss the Chamber's SPOOKTACULAR Halloween Happy Hour with Chamber member, National Museum of Funeral History.  It's going to be an amazing evening with a costume contest, haunted house, magician, tons of networking and a great time. We are proud to collaborate with The Woodlands Pride on this fun evening!  Register today.
HONORING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS – SEPTEMBER 11
Thank you to Chief Art Acevedo for being our guest speaker for the September 11 Brewing Up Business where we paid tribute to our first responders. We were honored to have a number of first responders at the event to recognize them, their service and sacrifice as well as the 412 emergency and first responders who lost their lives on that fateful day on September 11, 2001. 

Thank you to our host Houston Media Source and sponsor, ORION EMS.

Thank you to Houston Media Source for capturing the program on video. Check out the program at https://youtu.be/DHzL-qwwAAA. Check out the Event Photos.
RECAP! SEPTEMBER HAPPY HOUR AND POWER HOUR
Thank you to our host and Chamber member, Harold’s , for hosting our September Happy Hour and Power Hour and our sponsor, vitality iv .  Check out the Happy Hour photo album . 
We had a great Power Hour this month with Chamber member and sponsor, Nick Wolny with Hefty Media Group .  Nick shared great information about how to build your content marketing and discussed a “lead magnet” with the goal of driving more visibility for your brand. Thank you Nick for sharing your expertise and sponsoring the September Power Hour!   Check out photos from the Power Hour.
Check out all of the Chamber’s event photos on Facebook.
EARLY VOTING STARTS OCT. 21
Early voting begins on Monday, October 21 and continues through Friday, November 1.

Through the work of Harris County Clerk, Diane Trautman, and approval of Harris County Commissioner’s Court, this November, you can vote at any location in Harris County during Early Voting and on Election Day.

Quick Links:

Find A Voting Center and Sample Ballot or find a location near you by texting VOTE to 1-833-YES (937)-0700.

Not in Harris County?  Register to Vote (Other Texas Counties)
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
The Chamber is proud to welcome our newest member Postino Wine Cafe (Montrose) who joined in recent weeks. Thank you for supporting the Chamber!
Not a member yet? Now is a great time to join the Chamber! Check out membership benefits and levels.
THANK YOU RENEWING MEMBERS
Thank you to the following members who have renewed their membership. We appreciate your continued support of the Chamber!

MEMBER BENEFIT HIGHLIGHT - CHAMBER JOB BOARD
Did you know members can advertise job openings for their member company on the Chamber Job Board? The Chamber highlights the Job Board on social media and through the Chamber newsletter. Members can post any open positions to the Chamber Job Board through the Info Hub. 
Register for these upcoming events!
 

For more events, check out the Chamber’s event calendar.

 Do you want to get in front of Chamber members and showcase your brand? Sponsorship is a great opportunity to raise your brand visibility and support the Chamber. Win-win!  Learn more about sponsoring a Chamber event and complete the online sponsorship form . 
Did you know the Chamber is the leading regional advocate for the economic and civic interests of the LGBTQ business community? Now is a great time to be part of one of the fastest growing chambers in the region. Chamber membership is comprised of a wide array of entrepreneurs, executives, small businesses, and Fortune 500 firms. Visit the Chamber website and learn more about membership benefits and levels.
Congratulations to the following Chamber members who have received their LGBTBE ® certification!
 
 
Learn more about the how your business can become  LGBTBE   ®  certified.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
We love hearing about the recognition our chamber members receive in the community! 

Congratulations to our Chamber members who are winners of OutSmart’s 2019 Gayest & Greatest Readers’ Choice Awards . Check out the list of winners at http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/ . A number of members were recognized as runner-up as well! Way to go!
Do you have some good news to share? From time to time, the Chamber highlights significant accomplishments, big milestones and other good news about our members. Please submit your news via the Chamber website.
STRATEGIC PARTNER HIGHLIGHT
HCC - The Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives

The Chamber is proud to of our strategic partnerships to further the mission of the organization and bring additional tools to support our member. One of our strategic partnerships is with Houston Community College (HCC) through The Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives. The Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives was established to build and sustain the Houston business community through effective and relevant educational initiatives to help businesses grow in revenue, personnel and business opportunities. 

Learn more about The Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives including programs such as Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses via  https://www.hccs.edu/hcc-in-the-community/entrepreneurial-initiatives/
SILVER CORPORATE PARTNERS
BRONZE CORPORATE PARTNERS
FOUNDING MEMBERS
Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce | 832-510-3002 | info@houstonlgbtchamber.com | houstonlgbtchamber.com