But in this uncertain environment, silence is a statement. Choosing not to show support for LGBTQ+ employees sends a clear message, whether you intend it or not. That’s why this Pride Month, doing nothing isn’t the safest path; it’s just the most unclear. The question isn’t whether to engage but how to do so meaningfully and responsibly.

Why Supporting Pride in 2025 Is More Critical Than Ever

LGBTQ+ employees are looking to their employers for visible, meaningful support this year, and for good reason. According to Seramount’s February 2025 Employee Voice Session, 93 percent of Chief Diversity Officers and DEI leaders said LGBTQ+ employees were the group most in need of safeguards and backing from private industry, more than any other demographic. That number is up from 84 percent just a few months earlier. In other words, concern is growing, not fading.

At the same time, many companies are quietly pulling back. In a recent Seramount survey, 31 percent of Chief Diversity Officers said public statements were the area most affected by the administration’s anti-DEI agenda. Some are even removing DEI language from websites, marketing, and other outward-facing materials.

This internal retreat is mirrored in the public sphere as well. After facing significant backlash in 2024, Target scaled down its Pride merchandise by 96 percent and limited it to select stores. Moves such as this show how quickly long-standing commitments can shrink under political and cultural pressure and how visibility is often the first thing to go.

In this climate, not showing up sends a message too. And it’s not just employees who are watching—consumers, partners, and shareholders are also holding companies accountable, as seen through the recent consumer boycotts, activist investor pressure, and employee-led protests.

Companies can’t claim to be inclusive if they act only when it’s easy. Pride 2025 may feel politically charged, but this is precisely when authenticity matters most. Pride campaigns have long contributed to stronger brand loyalty, employee trust, and public credibility. And while the current climate may be tense, it’s temporary. Values, however, are remembered. If companies disappear now, they risk being seen as performative or opportunistic when the pendulum inevitably swings back. The cost of standing still may ultimately be greater than the cost of standing up.

Three Approaches for Companies to Support Pride in 2025

1. Listen to Your Employees

Before deciding how your company should show up for Pride in 2025, take the time to understand what your LGBTQ+ employees actually need. It’s easy to make assumptions, but those assumptions may be way off base.

For example, employees might not be focused on external visibility. Instead, they may be more concerned with safety, belonging, or legal uncertainty, especially in states where LGBTQ+ protections are being rolled back. In these cases, the most meaningful support might be practical: clearer nondiscrimination policies, updated employee protections, enhanced mental health benefits, or stronger manager training.

The only way to know is to ask. Host confidential listening sessions. Partner with your Pride ERG, if you have one. Create anonymous channels to gather feedback. Make it clear you’re not checking a box, but shaping your approach based on what employees say will actually make them feel seen and supported this year.

2. Focus on Internal Activities

While many companies are scaling back their external Pride efforts, that doesn’t mean you should scale back internally. In fact, internal activities can carry even more weight when done thoughtfully. This is your chance to show meaningful support where it matters most: within your own walls.

So, if your approach to Pride looks different this year, explain why, and reaffirm your commitment to inclusion.

Once you’ve set the context, think about tone. Many employees are craving moments of joy and connection amid a tense climate. Pride can still be celebratory. Thoughtful, human-centered experiences send a powerful message: We care, we’re listening, and we’re here for you.

Then focus on action. You don’t need a large budget to make internal support visible and effective. Partner with your ERG or DEI team to deliver support in ways that feel relevant and authentic.

Some examples:

• “How to Show Up for Pride 2025” Guide: A resource for all employees offering different ways to express support based on comfort and role. Framing it around “How will you show up for your LGBTQ+ colleagues?” makes it about inclusion, not performance.

• Ally Activation Kits: One-pagers, checklists, or mini workshops that equip allies with tangible behaviors and talking points.
• Resources Roundup: Share updated links to internal and external mental health, legal, or safety resources.

But don’t stop at programming. Review your policies, especially around anti-harassment and nondiscrimination, to make sure they’re up to date, easy to access, and actively enforced.

Done right, internal support isn’t a fallback; it’s where real inclusion shows up.

3. Localize External Support

Many companies are scaling back their involvement in large-scale Pride events, such as WorldPride or San Francisco Pride, due to the fear of public backlash. These high-profile events attract significant attention, and companies are increasingly wary of the potential for negative reactions. Instead, some are opting to focus on more localized or community-centered Pride initiatives.

For instance, while Comcast withdrew sponsorship for WorldPride and San Francisco Pride, they have redirected their efforts to support smaller Pride events in Oakland, Silicon Valley, and Sacramento. This shift allows companies to engage with Pride on a more localized level, where the impact may feel more personal and relevant to their employees and communities.

If your company does decide to participate in external events, it’s essential to conduct a risk mitigation exercise. Consider the potential risks of participating in these events: What could go wrong if you do participate? What could happen if you don’t participate? Are you prepared for the consequences either way?

Ultimately, the key is aligning your decisions with your company’s mission and values. If your support for Pride is rooted in these principles, it will be easier to stand by your actions and respond to any backlash, no matter what form it takes.

The Bottom Line

Navigating Pride in 2025 is a balancing act. Companies must stay true to their values while managing the risks of public backlash, not just to avoid being targeted, but to meet the expectations of your employees, customers, partners, and communities. The goal is to find a middle ground, one that upholds your values without putting your company at unnecessary risk.

Seramount can help you navigate this balance. Our experts can guide you in staying true to your principles while managing potential risks. Contact us today to learn how you can show meaningful support for your employees—not just during Pride month, but all year round.

The post How Should Companies Approach Pride 2025? appeared first on Seramount.

With states like Florida passing increasingly restrictive laws, traveling to certain states has become daunting. To help calm this panic, James has written a blog post, “Three Ways the Travel and Tourism Industry Can Create a More Inclusive Experience.” It’s important for the LGBTQ+ community to stand together with allies to demonstrate the strength of the community.

Next, James introduced the keynote speaker, Hope Giselle, who spoke on “The Importance of Intersectionality in the Workplace and Society.” Intersectionality is the point where your life and someone else’s connect. She spoke about her personal experience as a Black trans woman who was discriminated against in the workplace because she didn’t wear makeup in the office one day. She was fired from this job shortly afterward because her coworkers felt uncomfortable. She took this experience and began her activist work in helping corporations be a safer place for LGBTQ+ employees. She closed out her talk by stating the importance of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in the workplace because they serve as a way for queer employees to connect with senior leaders and work together to make these spaces safe and respectable.

Pride ERGs in Action

The next two speakers, Richard Mihalic from Allstate Insurance and Katie Spitzel from Freddie Mac, spoke on the important work that their companies’ ERGs do for their LGBTQ+ employees. Richard talked about how Allstate has ten active Employee Impact Groups (EIGs) and two active Business Impact Groups (BIGs), one of which is the PRIDE EIG. The purpose of PRIDE is to create a safe and supportive community for LGBTQ+ employees to thrive personally and professionally. All ten of the EIGs align with Allstate’s strategic pillars of business practices, culture, people, and community. All EIGs have a board structure so that employee volunteers have real titles that reflect the time and talent they give to the EIG. PRIDE EIG programming has a strong strategy behind it that is split between education, storytelling, and community building. There are learning and development courses for all employee levels to engage with specific PRIDE educational sources. Storytelling allows for LGBTQ+ employees to have a safe space for employees to tell their real-life experiences of being queer in the workspace. Community building combines affinity and virtual efforts to keep people connected in a workforce that is almost completely virtual.

Katie then started her talk about Freddie Mac’s Pride Business Resource Group (BRG) and how their work has positively impacted Freddie Mac’s bottom line. The company noticed that the BRGs needed a proper organizational structure to get the work done. The BRGs are structured like Allstate with real titles and leadership so that the employee volunteers are effective with their time and talents. Four of the Pride Committee’s goals are:

1. Improve inclusive language on job applications.
2. Make LGBTQ+ status to qualify for DEI scorecard metrics.
3. Reinstate detailed LGBTQ+ data on DEI reports.
4. Aid with pronoun adoption company-wide.

These goals will help make Freddie Mac a more inclusive workplace and have already made an impact. Pronoun options have been added to Workday and in email signatures. Employee applications have become more inclusive by adding more gender options and developing self-ID options. The company has even partnered with companies such as The GenderCool Project and Seramount to help keep their DEI progress on an upward trend.

If you are interested in learning more about how ERGs can help support queer employees or want to become a Diversity Best Practices member to attend webinars like this one, contact us.

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Dr. Shyama Venkateswar, Senior Director of Learning at Seramount, opened the event by providing a brief history about the origins of International Women’s Day. She acknowledged that while we reflect with pride on the hard work and accomplishments of people across genders who played an important role in shaping history, we must be very aware of the work that still needs to be done to achieve gender parity for all.

Dr. Venkateswar emphasized the importance of inclusion and intersectionality in achieving gender parity. She quoted LGBTQIA+ advocate Amber Leventry, saying: “including transgender and nonbinary folks on International Women’s Day does not take away from womanhood. In fact, it takes a stronger stance against sexism and patriarchy, and that’s the goal.” This quote provided a crucial perspective to International Women’s Day, reminding us that while we need to celebrate progress—violence, bias, discrimination, and harassment continue to affect women, transgender men, and nonbinary people daily across the world.

Dr. Venkateswar concluded her opening remarks by reminding attendees of this year’s International Women’s Day theme: #EmbraceEquity. This theme signals that equal opportunities are no longer enough. She asked that attendees lend their support to the young people taking the charge to disrupt patriarchies by protesting oppression, tyranny, and hierarchies.

The webinar featured three speakers: Tara Grammy, an actor, writer, producer, and an Iranian activist; Tandra Cheatham, head of pricing for the Americas and Under Armour, and chair of their Women Inspiring, Leader, and Living team resource group; and Penny Killow, global crisis and business continuity manager of Moody’s corporation. They each spoke about their own experiences in embracing equity through advocacy, community building, and workplace empowerment and support. Here are my takeaways from this powerful event:

Our Superpower Is Compassion

In her keynote address, Iranian-born Tara Grammy spoke passionately about the spirit of International Women’s Day through the lens of Iranian women and encouraged attendees to lead with compassion to make positive change in the world. Grammy has been speaking out against Iran’s totalitarian regime and gender apartheid state since 2011 but feels hopeful for the future of her country. The rallying cry of the brave men and women of today’s uprising is “Zan. Zendegi. Azadi.” – Woman, Life, Freedom. Grammy expanded on this phrase, saying: “There is no life without freedom. There is no life without women.”

Grammy, in keeping with the idea of intersectionality, emphasized that this is not simply an Iranian issue or a women’s issue but a human rights issue. She went on to say: “Our superpower is compassion. If we allow ourselves, we can feel the pain of others….If we feel it, we can hold it, and if we can hold it, we can help heal it.”

With this mindset, Grammy has been able to see the impact of her activism for the women of Iran and encourages attendees to find a cause they believe in and use compassion to appeal to the humanity of others and drive meaningful, lasting change.

There Is No Limit When We Work Together

To Tandra Cheatham, working within our communities and supporting women and young girls to unlock their potential is crucial to embracing equity and cultivating opportunities. Under Armour’s Team Resource Group WILL (Women Inspiring, Leading, and Living) empowers and enables all Under Armour Women to aspire, inspire, lead, and live to achieve their highest potential. So, when Under Armour began conceptualizing and planning their International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month designs, WILL was heavily involved to ensure an authentic representation of what being a woman and an athlete means.

In the final designs, a few phrases came to the top, but “There is no limit” stuck out the most. This phrase means a lot to WILL members, who bring that mindset out into the community. That is why they volunteer with nonprofit organizations Girls on the Run and Girls Love Mail—to reach girls at a critical age, strengthening their confidence when society begins to tell them that they can’t. As Cheatham reiterated, “Now, more than ever, girls need to be accepted, inspired, and motivated.”

COMMUNICATION AND THE RIGHT SUPPORT ALLOWS A PERSON TO THRIVE

In Penny Killow’s experience making workplaces more supportive and inclusive, she found that we need to “age up to our aging workforce” and remove the taboo around menopause. At Moody’s corporation, they agreed and began the initiative to become a “menopause-friendly company” and were officially accredited as such by the end of 2022.

Along the way, Killow learned that an educated workforce, especially managers, makes for a safer and more comfortable workplace for anyone affected by menopause. At Moody’s, for example, management training includes profiles of menopausal people across different ages and symptoms to make it easier for employees, particularly younger people, to have conversations with better-educated managers. By being careful, open, and sharing, we can remove the anxiety and fear around menopause —in the workplace and in people’s everyday lives.

Killow’s final “call to arms” was a reminder that menopause is a natural phase of life that happens to people across a variety of ages. She encouraged attendees to look into their companies and see if they have a menopause policy and ask questions or start a project of their own. With the right support, symptoms can be managed and a person can thrive. She concluded by encouraging attendees, “Please help me blow away these myths and taboos around the menopause, and remember it doesn’t affect 50% of the population; it affects us all.”

Seramount’s International Women’s Day webinar exemplified why it is important to continue to work toward achieving true gender parity. At the foundation of International Women’s Day is a spirit of solidarity and allyship across genders and identities continuing to advance beyond our history of accomplishments toward equity. The speakers emphasized the need for courage and passion to step forward and make meaningful change in the world and take a stance against the patriarchy.

It was said many times during the webinar that women’s rights are human rights. Embracing equity for women does not take on one single, uniform cause—but instead encompasses a multitude of issues unique to our varying identities and passions. Intersectionality is what enables us to advocate for greater inclusion for all. Contact us to learn more about Seramount’s Diversity Best Practices membership

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Dr. Curtis Jasper, ERG leaders from Alight Solutions, and ERG leaders from Constellation Brands made up the panel, which was moderated by Nicole Johnson, a senior DEI advisor here at Seramount. This webinar featured stories of triumph, both personally and professionally, that served to inspire those of us watching. All the speakers highlighted the importance of mental health and well-being and how employee resource groups (ERGs) can support those needs in Black employees.

The Necessity of Mental and Emotional Health Wellness

The session started with Nicole offering a moment of reflection in honor of Tyre Nichols, a young Black man who lost his life to police violence in January. This moment provided a nice segue into introducing Dr. Curtis Jasper, a human behavior specialist, and his topic about how companies can support the sustainability of mental health and emotional wellness among Black employees. He introduced the notion of “compassion fatigue,” which differs from burnout because it is more emotionally draining. He called it “the part you don’t see” when someone, particularly Black people, are struggling, especially after tragedies such as the death of Tyre circulate throughout the news cycle.

Dr. Jasper then offered some ways for employees to try and get in front of the emotional toll so that it isn’t all-consuming, such as feeling your emotions as they come and go, watching how feelings manifest in our bodies during difficult situations, and taking note of repeated behavior patterns in life.

Dr. Jasper also mentioned four ways for leadership to do better by their employees when they come to them:

1. Be curious, not critical.
2. Be careful, not crushing.
3. Ask and don’t assume.
4. Connect before you correct.

The ERG leaders from Alight Solutions and Constellation Brands all mentioned that their ERGs/BRGs were created to help support the emotional and mental well-being of Black employees. They all concluded that Black employees need a safe space where they felt comfortable being their authentic selves. They want to be valued as whole, unique individuals and not put into a personality box. All the participants mentioned that when Black employees are given the correct tools and spaces to take care of themselves in the workplace, they can thrive.

The Importance of ERGs/BRGs for a Sense of Community

The Alight Solutions participants: Xan Daniels, Chris King, and Siatta Ollison, and the Constellation Brands participants: Kerri Joy, Lonette Merriman, and Matt Deegan, all spoke on the importance of ERGs at their companies. The women leaders at Alight are part of their BRG, BUILD (Blacks United in Leading Diversity), and spoke on how this BRG has taken steps to nurture Black employees at Alight.

Alight’s Social Action Committee and Colleague Led Communities (CLC) were created to support employees in times of trauma and create a safe place for community and mentorship among Black employees. Because of the creation of the CLC, many Black employees have been able to connect with others outside of their departments and foster mentorships.

The trio of ERG leaders from Constellation Brands presented about their ERG, AASCEND (African Americans Strengthening Constellations Engagement, Networking, and Development). AASCEND was founded on the principles of strength, resilience, and change to help Black employees have a place where they could safely be themselves while at work. They also hoped that this ERG would help boost retention numbers with Black employees.

Both companies recognized that these groups are needed now more than ever, as a place for connection, mentorship, and safety. These groups are new but are showing great improvement and importance within these companies. They allow for a place of learning and community that is necessary to have a successful workplace.

Earlier this year, DEI experts predicted that the voice of ERGs will continue to grow even stronger. Employee Resource Groups provide companies guidance on their policies and can be a haven where employees can relate, connect, and feel psychologically safe amongst their peers in an ever-changing environment. ERG leadership development events such as EmERGe give leaders and DEI practitioners the tools to succeed in facing new challenges during these uncertain times and supporting employees throughout their journeys.

To learn more about how your organization can gain access to events like this one, contact us.

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Sharing the stage with me were Paralympic triathlete and disability inclusion consultant Erin Brown, Disability:IN’s Global Disability Equality Index Director Dorothy Garcia, Sephora’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, George-Axelle Broussillon Matschinga, Accessibility Manager – Distribution Centers Jessica Jolly, and my colleague Sarah Crump, Director, Diversity Best Practices at Seramount.

My Own Experiences

The speakers I invited to the event represented various dimensions of disability: there were those with non-apparent disabilities, those with physical disabilities, and allies. Personally, I was excited to moderate this event because of my lived experience as an autistic woman. I didn’t have this understanding of myself until I was an adult.

I opened the program by sharing how medical gender bias and the differences that exist for autistic girls and women have left us (plus people of color and nonbinary folks) under-diagnosed and subsequently under-supported. The recent uptick in people, especially women, being diagnosed as autistic and with ADHD has led some people to think that there are more neurodivergent people today than before or that people are being over-diagnosed. However, the reality is that we’ve always existed; the nuances of these experiences are just being more clearly understood now.

The Power of Storytelling

A prevalent theme was the connective power of sharing our own stories.

Bahamian Erin Brown shared her personal story of resilience as someone who acquired a disability when she had a leg amputated following a cancer diagnosis. She found “courage in her cancer” and had a shift in perspective in navigating the world with a lens on accessibility, becoming a Paralympic triathlete.

She faced rejection and other barriers to employment. When she couldn’t get a job, she created her own by starting her disability inclusion consulting firm, Erin Brown Connects, to support others on their disability inclusion journeys. She is now also the sole person managing disability compliance at the University of The Bahamas.

Erin personalized her story further by sharing how disability inclusion benefits not just the employment space but families too. She is able to provide for her own family, which in turn impacts the community. “Access is a human right,” she said, and “accessibility today is inclusion tomorrow.”

Dorothy Garcia also shared her lived experience and connection to disability. Her rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis “have affected every single life decision I’ve made as an adult”—from where she lives to where she works to the timing of having children. Seventy-five percent of disabilities are, like hers, non-apparent ones. Growing up in the Philippines, she noticed how people with disabilities are often relegated to the background, and parents with disabled children are less likely to push their children to achieve life goals. She personally hid her disability in the workplace prior to working at Disability:IN, a nonprofit for business disability inclusion.

Disability Is Wide-Reaching and Intersectional

The rate of unemployment for people with disabilities in the United States is 10.1% compared to the unemployment rate among those without a disability, which is 5.1%. The number of unemployed autistic college grads is at approximately 80%, almost 20 times the national average. The consequences of not being understood and supported can be tragic. The rate of suicide for autistic folks is three times higher than for allistic folks.

Looking at disability more broadly, we highlighted how disability is intersectional and shifting: it cuts across every dimension of diversity, and anyone can become disabled at any time. One in four adults in the United States has a disability, 15–20% of the world’s population is neurodivergent, and almost half of adults over 60 have a disability.

Dorothy also shared just how prevalent disability is globally and how serious the barriers can be. At least one billion people, 15% of the world’s population, have a disability. Unemployment among persons with disabilities is as high as 80% in some countries.

How Companies Can Create Inclusive Environments for Employees with Disabilities

Disability allies from Sephora, a member of Disability:IN, shared their practical approach to disability inclusion. George-Axelle Broussillon Matschinga positioned disability inclusion as part of Sephora’s overall DEI strategy of being a DEI employer, retailer, and partner of choice.

Jessica Jolly launched their newest ERG, SephorAbility, and manages the All Abilities Hiring Initiative, a nine-week paid program leveraging local advocacy groups and educational institutions to train and recruit people with disabilities. Since launching in 2017, the program has provided jobs to 246 disabled candidates across four distribution centers. Overall, people with disabilities make up 3% of total Sephora employees and 9% in their distribution centers.

Their keys to a successful disability recruitment program include top-down commitment, buy-in from people leaders (with communication and hands-on trainings), ensuring the interview process is inclusive and the work environment is ADA-accessible, and providing reasonable accommodations and ongoing support. Sephora plans to expand this initiative into their stores and corporate offices soon.

As Dorothy pointed out, the wins for companies are clear: there’s huge market share and spending power of people with disabilities, disability is an asset to companies as opposed to a liability, accessibility is key for clients and customers, and companies have an opportunity to brand themselves as pioneers and drivers of inclusion.

Disability:IN’s Disability Equality Index (DEI) can also help companies on their disability inclusion journeys. It is a comprehensive benchmarking tool helping companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions toward disability inclusion and equality. This year, there were 415 participants (most of whom are Fortune 1000 companies), whose work is measured in the areas of Culture and Leadership, Enterprise-Wide Access, Employment Practices, Community Engagement, Supplier Diversity, and Non-US Operations.

A few key takeaways from their pilot include these: company satellite locations need in-country, local leaders who have lived experience with disability and/or are strong allies for the disability community, and inclusive leadership needs to come from multiple levels, including from the C-suite, an active ERG, and an in-country leader who is an ally.

Attendees Ask Their Pressing Questions

Attendees had some tough questions for the presenters, who were prepared with practical answers. Some key takeaways included these:

• Folks with non-apparent disabilities may opt to not disclose unless accommodations are needed and then disclose solely to HR to ensure legal support is provided. Erin recommended potentially suggesting what accommodations would be most helpful. If folks are more comfortable, they may choose to stand in solidarity with others who can’t hide their disabilities and disclose more broadly to their colleagues.

• It’s important to have true commitment from senior leaders and have a DEI internal census, which anonymously collects data to share in an aggregated way with HR. ERGs also play a critical role in sharing those messages of inclusion.

• Erin reminded attendees of the importance of getting buy-in across the organization and working to address other gaps, including understanding the importance of universal design and employee retention.

The Business Case for Disability Inclusion

The NDEAM webinar exemplified why disability inclusion needs to be an essential component of every organization’s DEI strategy. It isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s also good for companies’ bottom line. Most companies report no additional (or very minimal) cost for accommodations, and companies with inclusive environments for disabled folks report 28% higher revenue. Autistic people alone can be up to 140% more productive than non-autistic people when working with jobs aligned with our skills. Disabled people broadly bring fresh perspective and innovation to the table and are reported to have higher retention rates too. Plus, 87% of US customers would prefer to support businesses employing disabled folks.

We have an opportunity with a new hybrid work model to continue our path to progress by listening to disabled folks, many of whom have been unsuccessfully advocating for remote/flexible work for many years. Remote work also is more inclusive for parents/caregivers with changing schedules as well as people of color who experience fewer microaggressions. Including disabled people in policies and programs for us is essential to meaningful change. Nothing About Us Without Us!

To provide more information, my colleagues Christian, Krista, and I have created a one-pager on supporting neurodivergent folks in the workplace, but these tips can be supportive of those who identify as neurotypical as well. When you design workplaces for the most marginalized, everyone benefits.

Each heritage month, Seramount hosts a celebratory webinar for all employees of our Diversity Best Practices’ member organizations to facilitate engagement, learning, conversation, and community. Interested in learning more about membership? Contact Us.

The post Lessons Learned from Our Powerful National Disability Employment Awareness Month Event appeared first on Seramount.

• Download or order the official 2022 NDEAM poster and create a display (or Slack channel!) to encourage employees to engage with the company’s commitment to an inclusive work environment and learn about people’s experiences.
• Review policies to ensure they demonstrate a commitment to an inclusive workplace culture.
• Launch an employees with disabilities employee resource group (ERG) to offer opportunities for employees to connect, engage, and learn about people with similar and different backgrounds. Ensure allies of people with disabilities can also join.
• Host refresher trainings with managers and employees to review relevant policies and learn through informal educational events, such as lunch and learns.
• Create an easily accessible resource bank that can facilitate activities to learn, such as disability etiquette materials and the “I Can” public service announcement.
• Offer time for employees to participate in Disability Mentoring Day, which promotes career development for youth with disabilities. This event is held on the third Wednesday of October, but companies have the option to host their own events on any day of the month (or throughout the year!).

Below, see what some Diversity Best Practices members are doing to support NDEAM this year:

Freddie Mac

Freddie Mac has a business resource group (BRG) dedicated to abilities that will host several activities throughout the month, including:

• Diversity consultant Dr. Betty Lovelace for a virtual event, “Hidden in Plain View: Beyond the Mask.” In addition, employees will participate in a forum on the importance of housing for individuals with special needs.
• Margaux Joffe, award-winning producer and founder of Kaleidoscope Society for Women with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, will lead a discussion on “ADHD in the Workplace.”

Nasdaq

Nasdaq’s Accessibility Network, dedicated to the company’s differently-abled employees, caregivers to people with disabilities, and their allies, will be hosting several events for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, including:

• A discussion session on the documentary “The Reason I Jump,” a movie that follows non-speaking children with autism around the world.
• A giving campaign in which Nasdaq employees will be encouraged to donate to charities dedicated to people with disabilities; Nasdaq will match these donations.
• An interview with Eric LeGrand, former Rutgers defensive tackle who was paralyzed from the neck down. He is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, ESPY winner, and community builder.

New York Life Insurance Company

New York Life’s ENABLE Employee Resource Group is hosting several exciting events to bring people together and to raise awareness throughout the company:

• A conversation about community and mental health with Charlten Henderson, a trained counselor and barber who was highlighted in New York Life’s Love Takes Action podcast. The discussion will cover how he created a place where community members feel comfortable sharing their personal challenges.
• During New York Life’s annual “Beyond Disability” panel, employees will share their personal stories while engaging in a conversation that highlights the differences—and similarities—of their experiences with disabilities.
• The company will host speaker Jill Griffin, who will discuss how her traumatic brain injury and her journey from silence to disclosure impacted her personally and professionally.
• New York Life’s Vice President of Benefits will provide a 2023 benefits review in preparation for open enrollment with consideration as to how the company’s workforce can promote health and wellness for people with disabilities.
• Throughout October, New York Life will hold a virtual walkathon and weekly “Cheers for Charity” events, where employees have the opportunity to catch up with colleagues in person and enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, with the entry fee supporting Achilles International, a global organization that transforms the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connection.

Sodexo

Here is how Sodexo is celebrating this month with their employees:

• Encouraging team members to identify as a person with a disability, if applicable, through a Self-ID Campaign.
• Creating a SOAR’s Toolkit and related Inclusion Spotlights which aim to uplift employees’ voices through submissions of personal quotes and headshots.
• Creating a “Mental Health & Wellbeing” virtual course for employees.
• Sodexo’s JUST_IN_TIME Toolkit – Includes tips, checklists, and resources to help managers lead a disability-inclusive workforce. Examples include:
  • Frontline Training: Disability Module
  • Requests for Accommodation: Don’t let talent slip away because you are unsure how you can make a reasonable accommodation.

The company will also be encouraging employees to attend a variety of external offerings, including:

• Seramount: NDEAM Member Webinar – This program will feature stories that amplify and uplift the efforts of individuals and employee resource groups working to support people with disabilities both at their organizations and in the communities they serve.
• Disability Voice: World Mental Health Day Webinar – Celebrating World Mental Health Day and learning about mental health and trends in disabilities across the globe as part of this year’s theme: Shaping an Inclusive Future.
• Disability:IN: Disability Mentoring Day – In celebration of Disability Mentoring Day (DMD), this webinar will focus on stories and takeaways from disability mentoring programs. Participants will hear from NextGen Leader Alumni, DOBEs, and Disability:IN Partners as they share the meaningful impact mentoring can have on a young person or a business owner with a disability. Participants will learn from direct experience how corporate mentoring programs can positively affect both culture within the workplace and business overall.
• Global Best Buddies: ACCESS 360 – Best Buddies will host a panel discussion with a focus on ACCESS in the workforce. They will feature a 360-viewpoint covering personal experiences and firsthand knowledge around accessibility and accommodations in the workplace.
• Retaining Valued Employees with Disabilities: The Importance of Performance Coaching and Management – Participants will learn about effective strategies managers can use to support and empower their employees with disabilities when engaging in coaching and performance dialogues. All employees, including those with disabilities, benefit from regular feedback on their performance. Effective performance management provides the employee with opportunities to grow existing skills and develop new ones.
• “Intersectionality Through the Lens of Disability” with Alycia Anderson,  a TEDx motivational speaker, disability advocate, corporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility consultant, and the founder & CEO of The Alycia Anderson Company, LLC. Alycia’s authenticity and charisma draws others to her and naturally connects them to inspire, mentor, champion, and support. A tennis player, cyclist, identical twin, and wheelchair user since birth, Alycia shares her journey globally to help communities and companies understand the true benefits inherent to building a diverse, inclusive, and accessible workplace and society.

TD Bank

Leo Salom, TD Bank President & CEO, is kicking off NDEAM and introducing keynote speaker Spencer West. The company will host its annual Disability Summit on November 17.

Learn more about Seramount’s Diversity Best Practices Membership.

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This webinar brought attention to the rising number of Latine people in the United States and the power they hold as a collective. Marcelo played a video created for Liberty Mutual which stated that America is the second–largest Spanish–speaking country in the world. Anna Maria Chávez also came with new research-based statistics, saying that Latine people account for 73% of the growth of the US labor force since 2010, even though they represent only 18.6% of the population. The Latine community’s consumption also grew more than three times faster than non-Latine consumption, showing that Hispanic people play a vital role in our continued growth as a society.

Marcelo kicked off the webinar with a beautiful anecdote about growing up as a gay man in Chile and expressed how appreciative he was of how he grew up. By being true to his authentic self and his culture, he was able to realize how special his Hispanic heritage is, and his desire to honor it grew as he got older. He closed out his story by reminding all of us in attendance that Latine people represent many different types of people and values, and we all need to be intentional about including all the diversity within the Latine community.

Keeping this beautiful journey in mind, here are some key takeaways from the session:

The Importance of Community

One theme that ran throughout the webinar, was the resilience and necessity of community among Latine people. One of the first things Anna Maria Chávez mentioned was that she grew up “understanding the meaning of community.” She knew from a young age how powerful community could be when everyone comes together for the greater good. The Latine community is multidimensional and multigenerational and often comes together to protect their own. There is space for everyone, and no one should feel discouraged for being who they are and representing their space. Priscilla, Johanna, and Marcelo highlighted the diversity of the Latine community, expressing how appreciative they are of the many different facets that come together to weave this colorful tapestry. Standing together to support and represent the community is powerful. Community allows for support to enact change and progress that can be scary to initiate, but the payoff can be worth it when lasting change happens.

Johanna mentioned that she supports her community by changing the way she speaks about her home country of Venezuela. The vision of Code for Venezuela mentions using the “immense human capital of our community” and using that power to “funnel it towards effective initiatives” to help support the country. She also has made a space for others to create projects that directly impact the community and allow them to give back to their home country.

ERGs and Advocacy

Anna Maria Chávez closed out her keynote speech by speaking on the importance of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and why they are necessary. ERGs are an important tool for organizations to ensure that every demographic group is advocated for and feels as though they can bring their authentic self to work. Priscilla Fuentes, of the American Red Cross, spoke on the importance of Employee Resource Groups and how they help minority groups advocate for themselves, serve as a place for mentorship, and help change the greater community outside of the company. The ERG she mentioned, Latino Resource Group, was created to provide Latine employees and volunteers with a chance to connect with people at the top of the organization and build relationships. She credits “receiving support from the top of the organization” for the program’s success. She also mentioned that the group has been able to advocate for the Latine community outside of the company and is able to serve them better than they had before.

By allowing Hispanic employees to have a space where they feel comfortable speaking about issues in their communities’, better solutions can come about. Priscilla mentioned that by gaining an understanding of the cultural connotations that surround the Red Cross in Hispanic countries, they were able to change their help response and influence the course of the company’s future. By knowing the culture, they can advocate for those who need it most.

Staying True to Yourself and Your Culture

The Hispanic community is about staying true to yourself while also honoring your culture. The moderator, keynote speaker, and panelists, all reaffirmed that having strong ties to their culture is key to being able to honor it. Marcelo said that when he moved to the United States for college, he learned to love his country (Chile) and culture more than when he lived there. Priscilla commented on how knowing Hispanic culture helped shift her response to Hispanic communities in crisis. Johanna cited wanting to change the narrative around how Latine people speak about their country by doing something positive.

As members of diverse and multifaceted cultures, they also spoke about how to stay true to yourself and not be pigeonholed or stereotyped at work. Priscilla and Johanna both spoke on the pressure to fit into the Latine stereotype of having a sassy, outgoing personality and how that isn’t the case for most people. By being yourself, and not a caricature, it’s easier to advocate for your culture. By being authentic, one can really elicit the change they want to see happen for their community.

Each heritage month, Seramount hosts a celebratory webinar for all employees of our Diversity Best Practices member organizations to facilitate engagement, learning, conversation, and community. Interested in learning more about membership? Contact us.

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What motivated Lilly to hold an innovation lab focused on supporting the LGBTQ+ community? 

KCA- When thinking about DEI agendas and strategies, it is important to make life better for employees. Lilly understands the experiences that our underrepresented colleagues are having, which is why we implemented our innovation labs. We have been unpacking five employee journeys with the labs, focusing on women, LatinX, Black, AAPI, and LGBTQ+ communities. We want Lilly to be a better place to work for all individuals, so we surveyed hundreds of employees with the hopes of making a difference. Our innovation labs evoke change within leadership, HR, and talent management. Specifically, our Pride ERG was brought together to dive deeper into the insights collected from the surveys and create a structured approach to generate action. 

RP- To add, what we learn and how we turn those learnings into actions makes us better leaders and it causes all of us to be intentional daily. 

What could be the potential impact on a corporation if they are not encouraging LGBTQ+ advocacy? 

RP- We do these innovation labs to create environments for people to be themselves. People are less innovative when they are scared and afraid to express freely. Talent is also at a loss because with fear, talent cannot thrive. Because talent is at the core of what we do as companies, we cannot deliver if we aren’t doing better. 

KCA– Exactly! At Lilly, we are lucky to have a range of talent. The innovation that we focus on for our patients as well as the game changing medicines we produce makes it imperative for people to bring all of themselves into the workplace. We want to accept and welcome ALL to ensure everyone has a fair shot at contribution. We as a company cannot work well if there are barriers.  

Once the event was complete, what was the employee response in regard to the delivery, execution, and information that was discussed? 

KCA- There was such a wide range of people there! For executive leadership, their eyes were opened to some things that they didn’t realize was happening or that they needed to pay attention to. Society isn’t always welcoming and some of the experiences discussed were both painful and offensive. We overall learned how to be better allies and advocates. We came up with solutions and personally, I left with more compassion and knowing that this is a priority. 

RP– As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I saw fifty plus people stop their day to make us feel like we mattered. They were actively listening and being more aware. Plus, it gave allies, advocates, and people who make up the wide array of representation in the community the “green light” to be curious and ask questions. For example, I am now doing reverse mentoring with a colleague who identifies as transgender, because I want to be a better advocate for them as an even more specialized group. Showcasing that the community is not a monolith will make us more intentional as leaders.  

What steps are being taken by Lilly to actively move from allyship to an inclusive advocate for the LGBTQ+ community? 

KCA– Our Pride ERG has strong sponsorship behind it, along with a robust global ally program. Currently, we a creating computer-based training on allyship to better define what good looks like. Once someone completes the training, they are asked, “what actions will you take now that you know,” in hopes of furthering the discussion outside of the learning environment. To start, we are making this a requirement for our executive leadership and then we will distribute those same guidelines to the entire management team. 

How has Lilly taken the information learned during the innovation lab and applied it the company culture and strategy? How is leadership measuring the success or impact of these changes? 

KCA- We have pulled from all the learning activities we conducted to bring action-based initiatives to the executive community, including the CEO. We are making changes in talent management and leadership expectations based on findings from the innovation labs to drive change. Change can make it safe to thrive and we want to encourage psychological safety through sponsorship programs, and there is interest from leadership. This will be actionable, and the swiftness is because we have strong executive sponsorship and advocacy. 

RP– Yes! It’s amazing to have someone in executive leadership who has your back and knowing that the support is there. The meeting for sponsorship programs will be happening in the near term and it is incredible to see the genuine support behind it. 

Interested in learning more about Diversity Best Practices and how we can help move your DEI efforts forward? Contact us.

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Tell me about the Black Business Network at Abbott. What are some of the goals of the BBN? Why is it so important to have this community at Abbott?

Abbott’s Black Business Network started 20 years ago with 30 founding committee members at our headquarters in the northern Chicago suburbs. Since then, we’ve grown to more than 1,800 members representing 14 chapters globally. The network plays a key role in engaging, encouraging and energizing Black employees at Abbott while also championing and advocating for underrepresented groups and communities.

Our mission is to cultivate an environment where all professionals are committed to an inclusive and equitable workplace, enabling Black employees to achieve their full potential while contributing to Abbott’s success. It’s important to have this community at Abbott because we serve the greater company in several ways. Our members bolster Black equity through recruitment and retention activities, sponsor professional and leadership development opportunities and network with local communities to advance health equity, develop young talent and establish diverse business partnerships. All of these efforts support Abbott’s 2030 Sustainability Plan goals.

What has helped to make Abbott’s BBN so successful? How has this group helped employees bring their most authentic selves to work?

The network’s success rests in the strength, dedication and commitment of our members. We strive to support and advance Abbott’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts with high-interest events centered around four pillars that we believe serve inclusive leadership: professional development; collaboration, outreach and recognition; communication; and membership and engagement. We’re proud of the impact we’ve made to boost representation, provide diverse viewpoints and support our members, helping many achieve their career goals.

How was the 20^th anniversary of the BBN celebrated?

BBN celebrated our 20^th anniversary, “Sustainability Through Inclusive Leadership,” with a hybrid event that hosted 200 people at Abbott’s global headquarters outside of Chicago and an additional 2,000 virtual attendees. The program began with a video with thoughts from founding members, and we were honored that the majority of them attended along with members from across Abbott globally. This created an atmosphere that honored the past, recognized the present and looked forward to the future.

Leaders from Abbott’s corporate divisions and businesses joined us. Abbott’s executive vice president of Human Resources and chief communications and marketing officer both shared speeches about the importance of sustainability and diversity. Network leadership participated in a “fireside chat” discussion, taking questions from members. Afterwards, many continued the celebration on social networks like LinkedIn, sharing their experiences from the event.

How can other organizations create successful ERGs like Abbott’s?

ERGs ensure they are adding value along multiple dimensions. At Abbott, we have 10 ERGs, and we believe they are critical to our success in creating a culture where everyone can come to work and be themselves. All groups strive to do at least three of the following:

• Solve real business problems with unique insights or expertise
• Strengthen our reputation, oftentimes through the work we do in the community or around health equity
• Support the development of members both personally and professionally
• Strengthen internal connections and community while building cultural awareness

We find that when we add at least three of these components to our ERG strategies, it speaks to the needs of members across multiple generations, in multiple countries, for multiple years. It allows our ERGs to evolve and grow as our company grows. It also allows ERG members an opportunity to play a direct role in the company’s ongoing success.

Have there been any defining or favorite moments over the last 20 years of Abbott’s BBN?

The program accompanying our 20^th anniversary event included a timeline of highlight events over the BBN’s last two decades. There have been so many, but memorable moments include the “I Stand with Magic” program, when Abbott and the Magic Johnson Foundation partnered in 2008 to address HIV/AIDS in the African-American community through educational activities and testing events. Another was a 2017 partnership with United Way to host STEM activities and Q&As with 150 middle school girls.

In 2020, BBN hosted an event in honor of Black History Month highlighting the legacy of Dr. Charles Drew, the forefather of modern blood banking. The American Red Cross was on site for a blood drive. Last year, the BBN successfully recommended to Abbott leadership that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day be named a companywide ‘Day of Service’ with employees receiving one day of paid time off to volunteer every year.

Other moments span career networking events, participation in fundraisers, internship activities and panel discussions. Some of these we joined with our fellow ERGs to present, like one last year about allyship in partnership with the Women Leaders of Abbott. And at this year’s 20^th anniversary event, BBN founding member Arnold Sandridge received a lifetime achievement award and his daughter, Asia Sandridge, was honored with the network’s ‘Rising Star’ award.

What do companies stand to gain from creating different support networks for employees of marginalized backgrounds, but especially for Black employees? How has your organization as a whole improved by implementing the BBN?

The benefit of the BBN and all Abbott ERGs to the company and the employee is the same. Everyone benefits when employees can contribute to their fullest potential. Employees benefit in the form of increased visibility and opportunity, and the company benefits by tapping into the unique talents of every individual. At Abbott, we still have work to do around the world on our journey of inclusion, but our ERGs strengthen our ability to do it. Our BBN celebration was a great reminder of that, and a celebration of how the BBN has supported our journey for over 20 years.

Read about how you can best utilize your Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) from our article: Why ERGs Are Your Organization’s Secret Weapon.

Contact us to learn more about how your organization can benefit from Diversity Best Practices membership.

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According to the most recent Census, approximately 18% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

In an effort to pay tribute to Hispanic Americans, Seramount has compiled a list of key organizations serving the Latino community.

Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA)
The Association of Latino Professionals for America’s mission is to empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation, in every sector of the global economy. It was the first national Latino professional association in the United States, established in Los Angeles in 1972.

The Committee for Hispanic Families and Children (CHFC)
The Committee for Hispanic Families and Children aims to improve the quality of life for Hispanic children and families. CHFC has developed and implemented programs that meet the needs of low-income Hispanic families and children in such critical areas as youth development, child care, HIV/AIDS prevention and education, immigrant services, public policy and advocacy.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI)
The mission of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute is to develop the next generation of Hispanic leaders. Its vision is an educated and civically active Hispanic community that participates at the local, state and federal policy decision-making levels. CHCI seeks to accomplish its mission by offering educational and leadership development programs, services and activities that promote the growth of participants as effective professionals and strong leaders. In the spirit of building coalitions, CHCI seeks to establish partnerships with other Hispanic and non-Hispanic organizations.

Council for Latino Workplace Equity (CLWE)
Under the umbrella of the National Diversity Council, the purpose of the Council for Latino Workplace Equity is to foster workplace equity for Latino talent and seek inclusion and opportunity for Latino leaders to claim their place at the table with certainty and conviction.

They achieve their mission by:

• Highlighting the pertinent issues concerning Latinos in the workplace to bring awareness to both challenges and opportunities.
• Leveraging commitment from corporate and community leaders to advance equal opportunities for Latinos in the workplace.
• Implementing discussion panels, forums and educational programs to address challenges, incite change and foster equity for Latinos in the workplace.

The Culture Marketing Council
The Culture Marketing Council is known as “The Voice of Hispanic Marketing” and is the only national trade organization representing the entire Hispanic marketing, communications and media industry. For the past 20 years, as the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies and later as AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing, they have championed the Hispanic market in corporate boardrooms and advocated for increased investment in multicultural marketing strategies – all while ensuring that experts with trusted Hispanic cultural expertise were at the forefront of this discussion.

Hispanic Alliance for Career Advancement (HACE)
Since 1982, The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) has served as a resource for Latinos in the workplace and is an expert matter for corporations seeking to access diverse talent. HACE is a national non-profit dedicated to the employment, development, and advancement of current and aspiring Latino professionals. Through professional development, resources and networks, and by facilitating access to career opportunities, HACE helps Latinos succeed in every phase of their careers.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities is a national organization representing the accredited colleges and universities in the United States where Hispanic students constitute at least 25 percent of the total student enrollment.

Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR)
The Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) strives to ensure that participation of the Hispanic community in corporate America is commensurate with Hispanic purchasing power. Responsible corporations endeavor to include Hispanics in employment, procurement, philanthropy and corporate governance.

Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA)
The Hispanic National Bar Association is the incorporated, nonprofit, national association of Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors and law students committed to promoting the goals and objectives of the association. The HNBA has been the principal force behind the increased representation of Hispanics in all sectors of the legal profession, and has served as the legal voice for Hispanics for more than 20 years.

Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA)

The Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA) is a new and dynamic association that has been fully operational since 2016.

Comprised of US Latinos that serve on publicly traded or large privately held company boards, as well as C-level aspiring directors, LCDA convenes accomplished Latino executives at the highest levels of corporate leadership who share the mission: to advocate and serve as a resource to increase the number of US Latinos on corporate boards.

Their model is focused on expanding opportunities and lifting up the next wave of Latino directors.

They are at the forefront in preparing Latinos for board service and promoting them onto boardrooms. LCDA members occupy more than 30% of the board seats held by Latinos on Fortune 1000 companies.

Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund is a national nonprofit organization with the principal objective of protecting and promoting the civil rights of U.S. Latinos through litigation, advocacy, educational outreach and the awarding of law scholarships.

National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The association strives to organize and provide mutual support for Hispanics involved in the gathering or dissemination of news, encourage and support the study and practice of journalism and communications by Hispanics, foster and promote the fair treatment of Hispanics by the media, further the employment and career development of Hispanics in the media and foster a greater understanding of Hispanic media professionals’ special cultural identity, interests, and concerns.

NALEO Educational Fund (NALEO)
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund empowers Hispanics to participate fully in the American political process, from citizenship to public service. NALEO carries out this mission by developing and implementing programs that promote the integration of Hispanic immigrants into American society, developing future leaders among Hispanic youth, providing assistance and training to the nation’s Hispanic elected and appointed officials, and by conducting research on issues important to the Hispanic population.

National Hispanic Corporate Council (NHCC)
The mission of the National Hispanic Corporate Council is to provide its member corporations with the resources, market intelligence, collective expertise, education, and counsel to implement proven strategies for reaching the Hispanic community externally and leveraging Hispanic talent internally.

National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)
The National Hispanic Council on Aging addresses issues of health disparities, economic security, abuse, and victimization of the elderly and their families and builds affordable housing for the elderly.

National Hispanic Institute (NHI)
The National Hispanic Institute targets top Hispanics in high school and college and conducts creative leadership training to develop students’ self-marketing, networking, college planning and organizational development skills.

National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)
The mission of the National Hispanic Medical Association is to improve the health of Hispanics and other underserved populations. As a rapidly growing national resource based in the nation’s capital, NHMA provides policymakers and health care providers with expert information and support in strengthening health service delivery to Hispanic communities across the nation. This organization represents 36,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States.

Prospanica
Prospanica has hosted annual career and professional development conferences, connecting thousands of Hispanics to graduate programs, subject matter experts, corporations, and each other. Prospanica has given over $8 million in scholarships for graduate education.

Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHPE)
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1974 by a group of engineers employed by the city of Los Angeles, was formed as a national organization of professional engineers to serve as role models in the Hispanic community. Today, SHPE enjoys a strong but independent network of professional and student chapters throughout the nation.

The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute
The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute was founded as an independent, nonprofit research organization to foster sound public policies and programs relevant to the Hispanic community. Policy focus areas include: Latinos and the criminal justice system, civic engagement and capacity building among immigrant-serving organizations.

UnidosUS
UnidosUS—formerly known as the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—has remained a trusted, nonpartisan voice for Latinos. It is the country’s largest national constituency-based Hispanic advocacy organization and was established to reduce poverty and discrimination and improve life opportunities for Hispanic Americans. UnidosUS serves the Hispanic community through research, policy analysis, and state and national advocacy efforts, as well as program work in communities nationwide.

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to bringing the issues and concerns of the nation’s more than 2 million Hispanic-owned businesses to the forefront of the national economic agenda. Throughout its nearly 25-year history, the USHCC has enjoyed outstanding working relationships with international heads of state, members of Congress and the current White House administration. Through its network of more than 150 local Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and Hispanic business organizations, the organization effectively communicates the needs and potential of the Hispanic enterprise to the public and private sector.

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