(Photo from FrostForCongress.com)
ORLANDO | The Pride Chamber of Commerce, Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ and ally businesses and professionals organization, announced Oct. 19 several guest speakers for its 2023 Pride in Business Awards & Gala being held at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando Nov. 4.
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, will be in attendance and providing remarks during the celebration.
These speakers join the event’s previously announced keynote speaker Todd Delmay, one half of Florida’s first legally married same-sex couple and newly appointed executive director of S.A.V.E.
“We are thrilled to welcome NGLCC’S Justin Nelson, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost, as we unite for an evening to celebrate the remarkable progress achieved in the journey for LGBTQ+ Rights and equality through the power of economics and commerce,” said Daniel H. Sohn, The Pride Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, in a statement. “Their upcoming presentations at the 2023 Pride in Business Awards & Gala symbolizes our community’s collective commitment to a future where inclusion and economic empowerment go hand in hand, advancing a more diverse and prosperous world for all.”
Read more about each of the newly announced speakers below and you can read more about Delmay’s announcement as keynote speaker here.
Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, U.S. House of Representatives (FL CD 10)
Congressman Maxwell Frost is the first member of Generation Z to be elected to Congress. As a former organizer, musician, and community activist, Frost was inspired to get to work at 15 years old after the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary claimed the lives of 26 innocent people. From that moment on, Frost dedicated his life to fighting against gun violence and empowering communities across Florida and the U.S. to get behind gun reform, including joining forces with those affected by the Parkland and Pulse shootings to shed light on this epidemic. The experience only further committed Frost to fight for commonsense solutions to this senseless loss of life through leadership roles at ACLU and eventually March for Our Lives, where he served as National Organizing Director. In Congress, Congressman Frost has been committed to representing the people of his hometown in Orlando and Central Florida. In his own words, Congressman Frost is “laser-focused on working to deliver change and results on issues of housing affordability, healthcare, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, transportation, justice reform, climate change and more.
Mayor Buddy Dyer, City of Orlando
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has spent years dedicated toward working to increase partnerships between Central Florida’s government organizations, business organizations, non-profit groups, and residents to help shape Orlando into a vibrant, inclusive community that is focused on the future. Mayor Dyer is leading the efforts to diversify Central Florida’s economy and create a new breed of high-wage careers in cutting-edge industries like life sciences and technology. Under Mayor Dyers leadership, the City of Orlando has been ranked of the best places nationally to start a business. The city’s Orlando Main Streets program is helping small businesses succeed, while offering residents unique goods, services, and experiences. In 2016, Mayor Dyer helped the community come together following the June 2016 Pulse nightclub tragedy, vowing that Orlando would not be defined by one hateful act that took the lives of 49 people, but instead by responding with love and compassion.
Justin Nelson, Co-Founder/ President, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Justin Nelson is the Co-Founder & President of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community and the largest LGBT economic advocacy and business development organization in the world. In addition to over 50 LGBT affiliate chambers in the United States representing America’s 1.4 million LGBT business owners, NGLCC leads economic development opportunities at over 20 international affiliates. Justin serves on U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella C. Guzman’s Council on Underserved Communities. He regularly advises senior leaders at the White House, in Congress, and corporations throughout the world to build business opportunities through commitments to LGBT-inclusive supplier diversity programs. He is a sought-after speaker at conferences and meetings around the globe promoting the business case for LGBT inclusion and creating equity for the LGBT business community.
To purchase tickets, visit ThePrideChamber.org/Program/Pride-In-Business-Awards.
You must be logged in to post a comment.