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HalifaxLGBTBusinessAssociation

Halifax LGBT Business Association

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History

Here's the brochure / membership application, pdf, undated.

March 22, 2012
Initial meeting to plan and develop Chamber of Commerce.
July 15, 2012
Rebranded interQ, with chair JustinSchurman?, MichelleClare?, DarrellSchuurman?, BenjieNycum, JustinMury?, LynnIding?, KristaSnow?, CarolynJames?, and JulesChamberlain?.
January, 2013
Organization bylaws
July 11, 2013
Incorporated: Inaugural board of directors: LynnIding?, Secretary; CarolynJames?: Chair; JulesChamberlain?: Vice Chair; JustinMury?: Treasurer; BenjieNycum, MichelleClare?, RobertMiller? (sp?), SeanMoore?: Directors.12 July 18, 2013: "We are happy to announce the birth of the Halifax LGBT Business Association! The Association was born at 10:55AM on Thursday, July 18, 2013. During our last monthly meeting at the beginning of July, the Board of Directors finalized the committees and working groups. We will be looking for volunteers after the summer to lend a helping hand on the Communications Committee, the Finance Committee, the Membership Committee, and several ad hoc committees such as Event Organization."3
September, 2013
Formally change their name from Inter-Q to the Halifax LGBT Business Association
October 2, 2013
First meeting; announcement below
August 14, 2014
last activity in the RJSC

You may also be interested in checking out GayBusinesses.

Initially known as InterQ, the Association is a a member-driven networking and community development organization whose goal is to promote the rich diversity of Halifax LGBT business, cultural, and service communities.

Contact info:


Halifax LGBT Business Association Officially Comes Out

Wayves September 30, 2013 • Halifax

Atlantic Canada's first and only business association specifically dedicated to the LGBT community has officially "come out." After almost a year of planning, the Halifax LGBT Halifax Business Association will hold its first meeting on October 2, 2013 from 6 to 8 pm at Halifax City Hall. Mayor Mike Savage will be on hand to formally call the gathering to order. The association is the only one of its kind in Atlantic Canada.

"Starting a business association from scratch has been a lot of work and a tremendous lesson in patience and education, but it's been totally worth it," says Carolyn James, chair of the association and of SNC Insurance. "We would like to thank Mayor Mike Savage and the city for their support and our founding corporate members McInnes Cooper, RBC, Nycum & Associates and Credit Union Atlantic, for their vision, determination and assistance in getting us to this point. We look forward to working with already established business groups like the Chamber of Commerce and Quinpoool Road Merchant's Association, to make Halifax the most inclusive and vibrant business community in this region."

A member of the Canadian LGBT Business Chamber of Commerce and modeled after other successful LGBT business associations, the Halifax LGBT Business Association will provide business networking, education, support to members and help small and medium LGBT business owners make connections with each other and with other organizations.

"There is a strong business case for establishing and joining an LGBT Business Association that goes beyond providing valuable connections for the LGBT community," says Catherine Watson, Halifax LGBT Business Association member and partner at McInnes Cooper. "For example, as companies face a war on talent, membership in the LGBT Business Association is a low cost way to communicate that your work environment is supportive and open to diversity. Also, it is well known that the LGBT community has quite a high level of disposable income and we believe that companies that do not actively engage with the community will forgo the opportunity to access the power of LGBT discretionary spending. “

The Association is offering both individual and corporate memberships. Individual members must be a member, friend and/or ally of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender business community or professional in Halifax.

Details on membership can be provided by emailing info@halifaxLGBT.com

"Our board members bring a broad range of experience, expertise, and industry representation, and we are confident in their ability to lead us through our inaugural year of operation and to help us reach our aggressive membership goal," says James. "So far, 174 individuals representing 90 different small, medium and large enterprises have shown interest in the development of the association. Our priority now is to translate that interest into membership. We would really like to have a full house for our first official meeting on October 2.”

The 2013 - 2014 board members are:

Membership is not mandatory to attend the inaugural meeting.

Footnotes:

2. July 18, 2013 announcement to info@interqatlantic.com
3. July 18, 2013 announcement from JustinMury?, Treasurer, to info@interqatlantic.com