Starting in the late ’80s, a group of Atlanta locals organized an expo designed to promote LGBTQ-owned businesses. After several years of continued growth, the Greater Atlanta Business Coalition was established, creating the first recognized LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce in the entire country. In 2002, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce was founded to help expand economic opportunities and advancements of the LGBTQ business community. A year later, Atlanta members changed their organization’s name from Greater Atlanta Business Coalition to the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
In 2007, the AGLCC was selected as the National Chamber of the Year by the national organization. Since then, they’ve won several awards and have created business opportunities to members in the Atlanta metro area and across the country. This year, they celebrate their 25th anniversary!
This year’s Community Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, September 20 at 6:30pm at the Four Seasons Atlanta Hotel. Below, nominees for this year’s awards are listed!
NOMINEES
2019 Business Person of the Year
Mindy Dawn Friedman InterContinental Hotels Group
Robin Rayne ZUMA Press Atlanta Bureau
Kim Sorrells The Atlanta Pride Committee, Inc.
2019 Business Woman of the Year
Suzanne Baugh Q&A Events
Janaya (Jai) Davis BoxFit Fitness & Performance Studio
Katie Leikam True You Southeast
Erica Wright U First, Inc.
2019 Business Man of the Year
William Duffee-Braun Creative Approach
Jim Farmer Out On Film
Chip Ivie Compass
Jack Kinley The Collabo Group
2019 Rising Star Award
Malik Brown City of Atlanta, Office of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
Buzz Busbee A Better Buzz – Brand & Experience Design
Joshua Grizzle Kaiser Permanente
Joshua D. Lorenz MAAP Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals
Norma V. Nyhoff Nicholas House, Inc.
2019 Guardian Angel Award
AID Atlanta AIDAtlanta.org
Latino LinQ LatinoLinq.weebly.com
Out On Film OutOnFilm.org
Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia StonewallBar.org
U First ProjectUFirst.org
2019 Corporate Ally Award
Cox Enterprises, Inc.
Delta
The Coca-Cola Company
Turner Broadcasting System
UPS
2019 Member of the Year
Justin Cullifer Aligned Partner Group
Dan Dunlop Dunlop Productions
Luis A. Ruiz Continuon Services
Jan Stepp Pizazzz Promotions, Inc.
2019 Small Business of the Year
A Better Buzz Brand & Experience Design BetterBuzz.net
Aligned Partner Group AlignedPartnerGroup.com
Pizazzz Promotions, Inc. Pizazzz.com
The Collabo Group TheCollaboGroup.com
Tiger’s Eye Barbershop TigersEyeBarbershop.com