We recently connected with Tammi Wallace and have shared our conversation below.

Tammi , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

In 2015, I became aware of the LGBTBE® Certification for businesses that are 51% or more LGBTQ+ owned through an article I read in the Houston Chronicle. The article focused on the Super Bowl, that would be hosted in Houston two years later, and the NFL’s goals to engage diverse owned businesses including LGBTQ+ owned businesses.

Once I did my research, I realized that the LGBTQ+ business community did not have a seat or voice at the table in Houston when it comes to business. There was no group convening LGBTQ+ businesses, no group supporting LGBTQ+ businesses much less empowering them to succeed and thrive.

Not to mention other major cities in Texas had LGBTQ+ chambers including Austin, North Texas and San Antonio. It was a huge gap to not have an LGBTQ+ Chamber in Houston working “boots on the ground” to drive connection and community.

I, along with the another Chamber co-founder, decided to launch an LGBTQ+ chamber to give our community a voice when it comes to business in our great city.

True story…we worked with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and a few local key stakeholders and launched the Chamber in less than 90 days!

Tammi , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My background includes a strong combination of strategic thinking, project management skills and a collaborative mindset through her varied leadership roles in education management, financial services, nonprofit management, government, public policy and management consulting. I’ve worked in various fields and my network is extensive across the region and the country plus the globe as well.

I’ve been a leader in the LGBTQ+ community for over two decades working or volunteering in various roles with a focus to address gaps and lift up the community.

My experience in business, government and nonprofits plus my engagement with to the LGBTQ+ community offered a unique intersection to launch and lead the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

Through my experience, network and the reputation we have built with the Chamber over the past six plus years, we have been able to launch and grow programming and events to support LGBTQ+ and Allied entrepreneurs, engage groundbreaking partnerships and collaborations, create strong relationships with almost 40 Corporate Partners, help get businesses LGBTBE® Certified and work at national and international levels with the likes of GrubHub, the LGBTQ+ UK Trade Mission Delegation and more.

At the end of the day, we are trying to give LGBTQ+ businesses and professionals, a space where they can be their full and authentic selves and where they can connect with community that is focused on helping them succeed and thrive 365 days a year.

With this…let me share that we love our Allies! About a third of our members are LGBTQ+ Allies and bring so much to the Chamber with their support and engagement.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Who didn’t have to ‘pivot” during 2020?!? I’m proud of our work to pivot the Chamber within less than 30 days of everything shutting down during the pandemic. We had our last in-person event, before the pandemic, on March 12, 2020, and before the end of the month, we were in a virtual environment offering support, resources and more to our members.

In fact, during the pandemic, we grew as an organization and I’m very proud of the ways we stepped up to support our members including connecting them to PPP, grants and other resources that helped keep their businesses afloat.

Many of our members still talk about this support and how we connected them to resources and offered support during such a challenging time. This is what community does…this is what a chamber does…helps businesses survive, succeed and thrive.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I moved to Houston from a small town in Mississippi in August of 1986 when I was 17 years old to go to Bible School. I thought this was my calling and what I was meant to do. Through a series of events and ultimately because of homophobia, the dream of Bible School was ripped away from me. I had to figure out what was next including how to survive in a huge city with no family here, no security blanket and no support.

I did figure it out through some very challenging and painful times, especially as I left my comfort zone of the church and then when I came out at age 25. I’m grateful 36 years later that I call Houston my home. It’s a city where I’ve found my true calling and passion and that is working on economic inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.houstonlgbtchamber.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammiwallace/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tammiwallace/