National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Unveils Star-Studded “Best-of-the-Best” Gala Celebrating Diversity in Business

WASHINGTON, D.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BestOfTheBest–The National
Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of
the LGBT community, in collaboration with its partners in the National
Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC) and co-hosts the Smithsonian
American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, will host the
inaugural black-tie Best-of-
the-Best Awards in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, April 26, 2016. A
bi-partisan group of progressive lawmakers, minority business
innovators, corporate trailblazers, and celebrity guests will celebrate
triumphs for diversity & inclusion in business.

Honorees include Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Leader; Charlie
Baker, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and Tony
Coelho, former U.S. Congressman and primary sponsor of Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA). Companies with supplier-diversity programs
that utilize LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE®) suppliers and other
certified diverse-owned suppliers have been nominated for Program of the
Year and Corporation of the Year. Washington Post columnist & MSNBC
contributor Jonathan Capehart will emcee the gala; Ali Stroker,
the first actress in a wheelchair to star on a Broadway stage, will sing
the National Anthem.

“Never before has such a gathering of game-changers been assembled to
celebrate the great strides taken to make the American Dream accessible
to all,” said NGLCC President & Co-Founder Justin Nelson. “The
Best-of-the-Best summit and awards gala not only highlights the work
being done for America’s estimated 1.4 million LGBT business owners,
many of whom are people of color, women, and people with disabilities,
but also brings together the broader diversity community in our common,
ongoing mission to improve business inclusion among Fortune 500
corporations and government agencies nationwide.”

The Best-of-the-Best awards gala and summit will bring together two
distinct groups of corporate attendees: diversity champions and
government affairs leaders. During the day attendees will participate in
discussions including members of Congress and executives from the
nation’s leading business diversity organizations on topics of federal
economic policy that affect both small businesses and Fortune 500
corporations. The event will also feature a roundtable discussion on
diversity and inclusion policies across all diverse segments. This
one-of-a-kind event will culminate with the first annual NBIC
Best-of-the-Best Awards gala that evening.

“The enthusiasm for this inaugural events is electric,” said NGLCC CEO &
Co-Founder Chance Mitchell. “This event is being talked about all over
town as ‘The Correspondents Dinner of Diversity’ for the caliber of
dignitaries, business leaders, and celebrities eager to take part in the
largest, most exciting celebration of diversity in business ever
assembled. The Best-of-the-Best will be a night to remember, and is sure
to become the must-attend event among public and private sector leaders.”

Other members of the National Business Inclusion Consortium include: The
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), U.S. Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce
(USPAACC), National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), U.S. Business
Leadership Network (USBLN) and WEConnect International. NGLCC created
the National Business Inclusion Consortium in 2011, and its diverse
members represent a total of over $9 trillion in annual consumer
spending power and significant contributions to the marketplace and
workplace.

ABOUT NGLCC:

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is the business voice of
the LGBT community and is the largest global not-for-profit advocacy
organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities
and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification
body for LGBT-owned businesses. www.nglcc.org

CONGRESSIONAL HOST COMMITTEE INCLUDES:

Rep. Ami Bera, Rep. Robert A. Brady, Rep. Tony Cárdenas, Rep. David N.
Cicilline, Rep. Katherine Clark, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rep. Joseph
Crowley, Rep. Diana DeGette, Rep. Suzan DelBene, Rep. Ted Deutch, Rep.
Debbie Dingell, Rep. Elizabeth H. Esty, Sen. Robert J. Dole, Rep. Lois
Frankel, Rep. Ruben Gallego, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, Rep. Luis V.
Gutiérrez, Rep. Janice Hahn, Rep. Joe Heck, Rep. Jim Himes, Rep. Mike
Honda, Rep. Jared Huffman, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Rep. Joseph P.
Kennedy III, Rep. Dan Kildee, Former Rep. Jim Kolbe, Rep. Ann McLane
Kuster, Rep. Jim Langevin, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Alan Lowenthal, Rep.
Sean Patrick Maloney, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Rep. Grace Meng, Rep.
Gwen Moore, Rep. Seth Moulton, Rep. Patrick E. Murphy, Rep. Eleanor
Holmes Norton, Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., Rep. Scott Peters, Rep.
Chellie Pingree, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, Rep. Adam B.
Schiff, Rep. Krysten Sinema, Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, Rep. Jackie
Speier, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. Paul D. Tonko, Rep.
Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Juan Vargas, and Rep. Marc Veasey.

Contacts

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
Jonathan
Lovitz, 954-695-5896
Vice President of External Affairs
jlovitz@nglcc.org