UPSTATE, S.C. (WSPA) – A local group is aiming to bring much needed resources to the LGBT+ business owners and entrepreneurs.
Dr. Caroline Caldwell and Nathan Brown have launched the very first LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce in the Upstate.
“We believe that diversity is really powerful and being able to embrace and give voice to that diversity is not only good for our[LGBT] community but the community at large. There’s huge economic potential here for all of us,” Nathan Brown, President of Upstate SC LGBT Chamber said.
The chamber plans to offer free training and mentorship in areas such as marketing and finance, along with networking events for members.
Organizers say this is a step in the right direction to give LGBT+ business owners and entrepreneurs the resources that they need to succeed. The LGBT+ chamber will fill a gap that traditional chambers in the area have neglected.
“I think what’s missing is the activity of creating a safe space that allows you to incorporate your culture,” Dr. Caroline Caldwell, co-founder of Upstate S.C. LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce said, “Those conversations aren’t being had and so this chamber allows those conversations to be a apart of the flow, direction and work of how we engage in the community,”
The LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce has been in the works for a year now and launched this month.
Organizers are welcome all allies and members of the LGBT community to join.
