IBM Sponsors Gay Chamber of Commerce

The nation's first National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce or NGLCC, said Thursday they will partner with IBM to launch a diversity development and procurement program to bring technology opportunities to GLBT-owned companies.

The program, says NGLCC, was inspired by the National Minority Supplier Development Council, or NMSDC, a certifying body for minority owned businesses, which creates development and procurement opportunities with major corporations.

"Since GLBT owned businesses do not qualify as minority businesses under NMSDC guidelines, tremendous financial opportunities are forfeited," said NGLCC's co-founder Chance Mitchell.

IBM will be the founding corporate sponsor of the NGLCC Diversity Development and Procurement Program.

"We are excited at the prospect of having a national organization that can effectively advocate on behalf of GBLT business owners," said Irwin Drucker, the program director for IBM's Gay & Lesbian Supplier Relations.

IBM is the largest buyer in the private sector, with purchases second only in total dollars spent to the federal government, and has been a leader in establishing corporate policies that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as well as offering domestic partnership benefits.

The move to launch the program comes as NGLCC has been meeting with corporate diversity managers and GLBT business owners, to determine if certification as a GLBT owned business was needed to create an avenue in which GLBT America can do business with Corporate America.

The NGLCC will serve as the certifying body for GLBT businesses and as the direct link to Corporate America for the purposes of diversity supplier contracts. The NGLCC expects to have the program operational by the fall.

Source: Gfn.com News