WELCOME TO THE AUSTIN LGBT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE!

Here are just a few LGBT Chamber Milestones:

• 1994: the board of directors decided to become a chamber of commerce.  During a three-year transition period, it was known as the Stonewall Chamber of Commerce. Confusion over the name (because there is a Stonewall, Texas) prompted the name changed to the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
• 1994: Barry Izak was President and Jack Schulze was Treasurer Schulze & Associates
• 1997: Michelle Burns was Secretary
• 1998: Michelle Burns was President
• 1998: Connected ATX LGBT Chamber with Velocity Credit Union
• 1999: Held first business expo which was held at Scholz Garten
• June 2001: marked the first Annual Austin LGBT Chamber Pride Parade, which was very successful with nearly 45,000 in attendance in 2008. In 2009, the Austin LGBT Chamber produced the city’s first combined Pride Parade and Festival with over 50,000 combined participants and attendees before handing off the Pride events to a separate non-profit organization for 2010.
• January 2006: the Austin LGBT Chamber reached 200 members for the first time
• January 2007: the Chamber had its first State of the Chamber speech given by the President to give members and guests a review of the past year’s achievements and an overview of the Austin LGBT Chamber’s plan for the coming year.
• January 2007: the Chamber published its first magazine, Forward Austin replacing the printed directory.
• June 2009: the Chamber reached 300 members for the first time.
• July 2012: the first issue of; The Agenda, the Austin LGBT Chamber’s new quarterly magazine, in collaboration with the Austin Chronicle, was released during Austin PRIDE.
• March 2013: the Austin LGBT Chamber organized the first #BigGay Kickoff Party on the first day of the SXSW Interactive Festival. It attracted over 1500 attendees, making it the largest non-pride event in Austin.
• July 2013: the Austin LGBT Chamber received the Rising Star Chamber of the Year award from the NGLCC
• September 2013: the Austin Chronicle’s Best of Austin named the Austin LGBT Chamber as “Best Shop-Local Portals.”
• March 2014: the Austin LGBT Chamber’s Facebook page reached 10,000 likes, making it the most “liked” LGBT chamber of commerce on Facebook, and the most liked of any local chamber of commerce in the world.
• August 2015: the Chamber received the Excellence in Community Impact Award from the NGLCC.
• June 2016: was the first PROUD! The event in which the Chamber celebrates its founding, Pride month, Annual Business Awards and gives out scholarships to LGBTQ students through its Foundation.
• August 2017: Austin LGBT Chamber receives CTI Certified designation issued by the University of Notre Dame and co-signed by the USHCC, USBC, USPAACC. The CTI Certification highlights the achievements made by the chamber as a whole.
• Jan 2019: Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio Chamber collaborate and create the Texas LGBT Chambers of Commerce.
• Dec 2019: Austin LGBT Chamber has record-setting Business of Pride Awards Gala
• Dec 2019: The Chamber increased paid staff size to it’s largest staff in history on a path to high growth for 2020.
• January 2020: The Chamber introduced the Engage 2020 Program Series focusing on expert panel discussions around Advocacy, Health & Wellness industry, ERGs, Young Professionals with Pride and Business Academy
• 2021 Session: State Legislative Partnership – Working with Texas Competes, we fought 76 anti-LGBT bills filed and together beat 75
• June 2021: Co-hosted PRIDE Month COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
• June 2021: Austin FC Partnership Pride Night and Merch Round-Up
• November 2021: Awarded five Education Fund Scholarships
• December 2021: Collected 1300 Toys for the Annual Holiday Toy Drive
• December 2021: Largest Annual Gala attendance in the history of the Chamber
• 2021: Certified 58 LGBT Owned Businesses
• 2021: City of Austin accepts LGBTBE Certification in the procurement process
• 2021: Partnership with Visit Austin
• 2021: The Diversity and Ethnic Chamber Alliance (“DECA”) comprised of the Austin LGBT Chamber, Greater Austin Asian Chamber, Greater Austin Black Chamber, and the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was formed.
• 2022: The Chamber launched the Agenda Live Show.
• March 2022: The Chamber had a full day of Official SXSW LGBT+ Business Panels
• March 2022: The Diversity and Ethnic Chamber Alliance (“DECA”) comprised of the Austin LGBT Chamber, Greater Austin Asian Chamber, Greater Austin Black Chamber, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are pleased to introduce to the community our shared vision to create a Regional Economic Equity Development Plan (“REED Plan”) as a way to reduce barriers and create equity for the small businesses and the workforce communities we serve. The vision of the DECA collaboration is to better the integration of individuals, firms, and communities who have not shared proportionately in the overall rise in local prosperity.
• June 2022: The Chamber held the first full-scale in-person Pride in Local Music Festival.
• 2022: The Chamber had the highest number of event sponsorships.
• 2022: The Chamber held a record number of Rainbow Ribbon Cuttings.
• December 2022: The Chamber held the highest-attended Business of Pride Gala.
• 2022: The Chamber served on the Austin Economic Development Board, the Business Arts Council at the Long Center and the Business Advisory Council for Delta Airlines.
• 2024: The Chamber awarded $60K+ in scholarships and grants through the Austin LGBT Chamber Education Fund and our partnership with the NGLCC.

Want a better view of this chamber in action? We have you covered! Check out our events calendar and join us for our next event.