FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Amerisure is pleased to work with Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC) to grow and enhance the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
JBC is a women-owned, LGBT-certified consulting firm with more than 16 years of experience working with companies across industries, including Fortune 1,000 organizations, nonprofits and startups. Their key focus areas include DEI assessments and strategies; seminar workshops and keynotes; employee resource group summits and buildouts; and coaching.
The relationship with Amerisure will include a diversity, equity and inclusion assessment, an employee inclusion and culture survey, and the development of an ongoing DEI scorecard to elevate opportunities.
“We are proud of the steps we’ve taken since launching our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and the partnership with Jennifer Brown Consulting will enable us to take our DEI roadmap to the next level,” said Erin Buddie, vice president of human resources at Amerisure. “We are excited to work together with the experts at JBC to build upon our strategy and enhance our efforts and capabilities.”
Embracing diversity, equity and inclusion is strongly correlated with an organization’s profitability and overall value in the marketplace. Companies that support DEI are more likely to attract top talent, improve customer relationships and decision-making, and increase employee satisfaction, according to Mckinsey & Company.
“Our primary focus is making sure that everyone feels welcomed, valued, respected, and heard,” said Jennifer Brown, founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting. “Our team draws upon a broad array of diversity dimensions, professional experiences, and deep commitment to assist our clients in building workplaces of belonging where all of us can thrive.”
About Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC)
JBC is a strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm headquartered in New York City. The firm believes in unleashing the power of human potential, embracing diversity, and helping people — and organizations — to thrive. JBC has a global presence, operating everywhere from North America to Southeast Asia. They’ve helped numerous organizations, including Toyota, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Bank of America, continuously drive positive organizational change in today’s rapidly shifting business landscape.
About Amerisure Insurance
Amerisure is a leading provider of commercial property and casualty insurance solutions for U.S.-based construction, manufacturing and healthcare businesses. Licensed in all fifty states and available through an exclusive network of elite independent agents, the company upholds an “A” (Excellent) financial strength rating, industry-leading service scores, and multiple awards for innovation. Amerisure has been in business for more than 100 years and is consistently named among the best places to work in the industry and throughout the nation. To learn more, visit http://www.Amerisure.com.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ —Today, leading influencer marketing company, Captiv8, is announcing its public pledge to help Cr8 Change through programs such as a grant for minority-owned SMBs as well as mindful product updates with the goal of taking concrete, small steps to help lead greater DEI momentum and progress within the influencer marketing industry.
Influence Change Grant: applications are now open for Captiv8’s inaugural Influence Change Grant, which is designed to be a twice-yearly SaaS grant to support BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ owned small- to mid-sized businesses who are positively impacting their communities. Those selected will be provided free access to Captiv8’s SaaS influencer marketing platform, including discovery, workflow, intelligence, insights and measurement capabilities, as well as dedicated hours for strategic consulting with a team of in-house experts. In order to qualify, applicants must also meet the following criteria: be located in the United States, be non-for-profit or be a for-profit business with less than $10 million in annual revenue. The first deadline to submit is October 29, 2021, with the first recipients to be announced in December of this year. Captiv8 is currently dedicating over a half of a million dollars of value to this program to help support 10 companies in 2022.
Mindful Product Mapping: Captiv8 is also building features directly into its platform to encourage creator representation through expanded gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation identification options. This will allow creators to self-identify in the most representative manner, and allow brands to partner with creators to diversify initiatives.
“The last few years have made it apparent that there is a need now more than ever for a culturally diverse and representative landscape in the influencer marketing industry. We know this change cannot happen overnight, but we want to make sure we’re dedicating ourselves to taking the right steps to ensure we’re making a positive impact for both creators, and the brands we work with,” said Krishna Subramanian, CEO, Captiv8. “Ultimately, we know that small steps lead to significant progress over time. As a minority-owned company ourselves, we have built our own foundation upon the diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and excellence of our employees, and we want to help lay a similar, inclusive, foundation in others.”
Captiv8, itself, is a minority-owned company, with nearly 70 percent of the team identifying as BIPOC. Diversity extends to the highest levels, with 1 in 2 of its leadership team also identifying as BIPOC.
Those interested in learning more or applying for the Influence Change grant can visit here.
About Captiv8: Captiv8 is a full service influencer marketing solution that redefines end-to-end, inspiring you to think bigger, enabling you to plan smarter and empowering you to execute better. Through our intuitive workflow, brands can uncover actionable insights on trends, discover and vet influencers, seamlessly activate campaigns at scale, amplify branded content across the digital ecosystem, and prove business impact through our measurement dashboard. Our platform gives you the tools you need to build relationships and effective content, while our teams lend experiences and strategic services to steer you clear of common influencer marketing pitfalls.
NEWARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–PROFIT is the first online business bank account that blends modern banking with accounting software in one platform – automatically completing your bookkeeping and accounting for free.
Founded by two software engineers who grew up in underserved areas (Newark, NJ & Union, NJ), Vin Montes & Frantz Romain personally know what it’s like to fend for themselves in an underserved financial business environment. Frantz Romain attended New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Vin Montes attended Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in NJ. They recognized the help minority small business owners needed and built a banking platform to help them.
PROFIT’s founders include:
Vin Montes, a prior business owner, US Air Force veteran, and software engineer who developed a global financial spend application for UPS.
Frantz Romain, a prior business owner, and software engineer who worked with Mr. Montes for two years developing a global financial spend application for UPS. The technology he built with Mr. Montes was awarded Red Hat’s 2018 Global Innovation Award (prior winners include Barclays, Deutsche Bank, & BBVA)
PROBLEM
Minority small businesses continue to be underserved by banks. Lacking support from the financial industry, they struggle to access capital and easy-to-use financial tools. Overwhelmed with responsibilities, most minority business owners lack the time and financial background to manage complex accounting software.
THE PROFIT SOLUTION
PROFIT’s founders decided to build the first All-in-One business bank account with accounting technology that does their member’s bookkeeping and accounting for free.
“We personally know what it’s like to be left behind and fend for ourselves in an underserved environment. This motivated us to build a technologically advanced bank that would take some of the financial burdens away from underserved business owners so they could focus on growing their business the best way they can.” – CEO/Co-founder Vin Montes.
“It is hard for a business owner to know how their company is doing financially compared to their industry. To solve this problem we provide our members with real-time Profit & Loss statements that benchmark their net profit with their industry’s average. This helps the owner understand how their business is doing financially compared to their industry. – CTO/Co-founder Frantz Romain.
PROFIT also captures receipts via text message & automatically matches them to the correct transaction. It then auto-reconciles all their accounts saving their members days of tedious accounting work.
PROFIT GIVES BACK
Black and Latino business owners are half as likely to be approved for bank loans than Whites. That was the case even when Black, Latino, and White applicants were all categorized as low credit risk, according to a 2020 Federal Reserve study. As further validation of the uphill battle Black & Latino’s face in getting the business help they need, Forbes published that 37.9% of Black businesses reported being discouraged from applying for a business loan, compared to 12.7% of white-owned businesses.
PROFIT’s founders experienced this first-hand when they were turned down for a business loan.
To help alleviate the problem, PROFIT offers all their members a 0% interest revolving line of credit. “We take a portion of our revenue and fund a revolving line of credit for all our members. We know what it’s like to be turned down for loans even if you have a good business. We do not ask for a credit check and the funds are available the next business day.” – CEO/Co-founder Vin Montes.
ASK
If you would like to help or support PROFIT’s cause in any way please contact info@bankwithprofit.com.
To sign up for a PROFIT business bank account or to learn more, visit www.bankwithprofit.com.
National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Teams Up with Grubhub To Offer String-Free Funds for Struggling Restaurants Impacted by Covid
WASHINGTON and CHICAGO, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — America’s vulnerable LGBTQ+-owned restaurants and bars serving food will find a vital lifeline this fall stemming from the partnership formed by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and Grubhub. These small business owners have been among hardest hit by Covid impact with loss of jobs and income over the past two years.
Grubhub, a leading U.S. food-ordering and delivery marketplace, and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide, have opened applications for their NGLCC/Grubhub Community Impact Grant Program. The grants are expected to range from $5,000 to $100,000.
“We often say at NGLCC that ‘If you can buy it, an LGBTQ+-owned business can supply it.’ That is especially true of the LGBTQ+-owned restaurants across America who kept our communities and first responders fed throughout the pandemic. We’re proud to partner with Grubhub in offering these grants to support these businesses throughout the nation. America’s 1.4 million LGBTQ+-owned business owners have shown incredible resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, in turn, we can help them recover stronger than ever,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson.
Throughout June, NGLCC was named the official partner of Grubhub’s Donate the Change program, which has raised tens of millions of dollars for organizations in need since launching in late 2018. The partnership welcomed Grubhub and Seamless diners to opt-in, round up their order total, and donate the difference, with the company matching eligible donations from Grubhub+ members. The proceeds raised will now be made available through NGLCC to support the LGBTQ+ community and LGBTQ+-owned restaurants.
“As the world starts to return to a new normal, we know many businesses are rebuilding and reopening, especially LGBTQ+-owned restaurants that are often the pillars of their communities,” said Kevin Kearns, senior vice president of restaurants at Grubhub. “We’re thrilled to partner with NGLCC and give back to the LGBTQ+ community – one that has shown incredible strength and support for those in need throughout the pandemic.”
Under the innovative grant program, the NGLCC has set a goal to allocate 30 percent of the funds to businesses owned by people of color and transgender/gender non-conforming individuals.
NGLCC and its partners will expertly evaluate applications after the October 12, 2021 closing date. Major grantees will be awarded onstage during the NGLCC Back To Business (B2B) Summit in Hollywood, Florida this November, as well as in local communities.
The NGLCC’s network of more than fifty Affiliate Chambers across America will help amplify this grant opportunity to support local restaurants. Those local chambers will also benefit from this initiative’s newly established “Affiliate Chamber Fund.” This fund will enable any establishment that receives a Community Impact Grant Program that is not currently a member of an NGLCC local affiliate chamber to have one year of membership paid. Additionally, many of NGLCC’s more than 300 corporate partners enhanced their Pride 2021 programming with food orders from Grubhub during their programming with Employee Resource Groups and community partners – a best practice expected to continue throughout future Pride celebrations.
For more information on the Community Impact Grant Program regarding restaurant eligibility requirements, timelines, how to apply, and more, please visit www.nglcc.org/ghgrant.
About NGLCC The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses, known as Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) suppliers. www.nglcc.org @nglcc
About Grubhub Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY, NASDAQ: GRUB), a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting more than 33 million diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 300,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.
In this episode of OutBüro Voices featuring LGBTQ professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from around the world, host Dennis Velco chats with Kevin Huntting, a Leadership Coaching Centered on Your State Of Consciousness.
Kevin has had a long career in the large Fortune 500 corporate world in areas of eCommerce, digital marketing, social media management for brands like Banana Republic, GAP, and GE. He enjoyed the challenges and what they taught him about himself. The biggest change was when he met his spouse who is a career Mexican Diplomat. Due to his husband’s government role that requires him to be resigned to new international or US locations to serve his country every 3-4 years, this caused Kevin to assess himself and reconsider his career.
If you are a professional or entrepreneur in either capacity and would like to up your leadership skills, make sure you watch/listen. Along the way, we’d love for you to drop a comment. What did you learn? What was new or interesting to you? What are your goals and what’s blocking you?
We discussed how relocating can allow you to reinvent yourself leaving the past behind. If coupled with a self-assessment and an intention to grow and change it can have a profound positive impact on your life. Also, how so many people fear the change, leaving a comfort zone (even if negative) and unknown and further we discuss how to deal with that. step into the possibilities, and make it a reality.
Kevin’s leadership coaching modality is founded on core energy or energy leadership. The idea is that every one of us is operating from a place of 7 core levels of consciousness in any given situation, context, or interaction in our day-to-day lives. Kevin assists his clients in understanding where they are showing up energetically or consciously speaking. He works with leaders to help them build that awareness and emotional intelligence that allows them to tap into higher levels of consciousness which results in more effective leadership, overall satisfaction, and productivity.
It sounds a little metaphysical, but level one is a victim mentality. If someone is operating in this level with their thoughts, emotions, and actions life is happening to them, not for them. Energy attracts like energy. Kevin helps his client’s break the mold or lens to see the potential of raising their consciousness and provide a wide range of tools to see what is holding them back, see what you maybe cannot see from an outside objective perspective, and make positive change in a short period of time – usually just 3 months.
Kevin’s ideal clients are change-makers, envelope pushers, innovators, social entrepreneurs, anyone who is looking to make a positive impact in the world, and maybe the employer they work for to increase their leadership and performance. He starts off with each client using the Energy Leadership Assessment Index which measures the client’s attitude to gauge where they are today. Taking the client’s stated desired goals, he creates a systematic plan and then works with the client over a typically 3 month period to achieve their desired change. He creates a gap analysis potentially covering attitude, skills, behaviors, characteristics to gain to reach their goals.
Join us OutBüro, the LGBTQ professional and entrepreneur online community network for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, allies, and our employers who support LGBTQ welcoming workplace equality-focused benefits, policies, and business practices. https://www.OutBuro.com
Would you like to be featured like this? Contact the host Dennis Velco via our site’s Recommend an Interview Guest form. https://outburo.com/recommend-a-guest/
Study finds that gay villages have seen a disproportionate amount of closures, boarded up storefronts and high rents compared to the rest of the LGBTQ+ business community.
Women entrepreneurs and business owners are significantly underrepresented in LGBTQ+ businesses with greater attention needed to develop more opportunities and support for intersectionality amongst the community.
Canada is lagging behind the US in recognizing LGBTQ+ businesses as a minority group for preferential spending, procurement and relief funds.
MONTRÉAL, July 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ – Lightspeed (TSX: LSPD) (NYSE: LSPD), the one-stop commerce platform for merchants around the world to simplify, scale and create exceptional customer experiences, today announced the results of a study on the impacts of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ+ North American business community.
Lightspeed commissioned the exploratory study to Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business along with the support from Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC).This study is part of Lightspeed’s overarching Community through Commerce initiative, which serves as a tactical, data-driven approach to better understand the businesses Lightspeed powers with its one-stop commerce platform. As such, Lightspeed sought to gather actual data that would support some of the assumptions made about the true impacts of COVID-19 on this community. As a next step in this initiative, Lightspeed will engage with local North American LGBTQ+ Chambers of Commerce to identify ways of helping merchants continue to build thriving businesses.
Lightspeed’s inaugural Global Diversity and Inclusion survey revealed that 16.81% of its global employees identify as LGBTQ+ and 9 out of 10 report that they feel comfortable talking about their culture and background with their colleagues. 83% of survey respondents feel they can be their authentic selves in the workplace.
“Lightspeed was founded in 2005, in Montreal’s gay village and its original members were all part of the LGBTQ+ community. The ethos of our business has always been about diversity and inclusion from the very start, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this research was particularly important to us,” said Dax Dasilva, Founder and CEO of Lightspeed. “Both in the US and in Canada, majority-owned LGBTQ+ businesses generate trillions of dollars of contributions to the total GDP. Given their importance and influence on our economies, we wanted to understand exactly how the pandemic has affected this community and start a conversation with businesses and chambers of commerce, to help us build even better tools for resiliency.”
Purpose of the study:
To assess whether there has been a disproportionately negative or positive impact from the pandemic on LGBTQ+ businesses and entrepreneurs.
To explore whether LGBTQ+ businesses, in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, have explicitly turned to or benefited from gay villages/neighbourhoods and/or similar community organizations.
To explore the options for investment and support that respondents perceive as necessary or helpful for post-pandemic recovery.
Key results:
According to qualitative data gathered from the study, gay villages saw a disproportionate amount of closures, boarded up storefronts and high rents compared to the rest of the LGBTQ+ led business community.
The types of businesses located in the villages are mostly retail, restaurants, bars and entertainment, which, according to Statistics Canada, were hardest hit during the pandemic.
Real gross domestic product (GDP) of food services and drinking places fell 39.5% in March 2020 and by another 40.8% in April 2020 as many of these businesses either closed completely or operated at a greatly reduced capacity, providing take-out or delivery services exclusively.
More than half (56%) of food service and drinking place operators reported being closed at some point last April, while 41% reported being closed for the entire month.
By the end of April 2020, sales in the food services and drinking places subsector fell 61.3% from pre-pandemic levels observed in February 2020.
Similarly in the United States, the National Restaurant Association reported that restaurant and food-service sales were $240 billion below their 2020 pre-pandemic forecasts.
110,000 eating and drinking establishments closed either temporarily or for good, and 2.5 million restaurant industry jobs disappeared.
Our study showed that villages were not seen to be fostering business and entrepreneurship or providing a community or resources for businesses outside of retail and hospitality.
Greater collaboration and partnership with Economic Development and the BIAs (Business Improvement Area) could bolster the opportunities in the gay villages.
There is an opportunity for villages to promote diversity within LGBTQ+ businesses in their services and outreach, and to become safe spaces and hubs of innovation.
Gay villages (areas or neighborhoods) are seen to have a strong social fabric, tight knit communities, with the potential to reach out to intersectional community members.
There is an opportunity for villages to reach out to and bring in young entrepreneurs and businesspeople, who value the community and opportunity to collaborate.
Women entrepreneurs and business owners are significantly underrepresented in LGBTQ+ businesses and greater attention is needed to develop more opportunities and support for intersectionality amongst the community.
Participants in the study were predominantly male (70%) reflecting nation-wide studies showing that 80% of businesses had majority male ownership in the United States (United States Census Bureau) and 79% in Canada (Statistics Canada).
The majority of respondents did not identify as intersectional (80%).
Study reveals that Canada is lagging behind the US in recognizing LGBTQ+ businesses for preferential spending, procurement and relief funds.
In the US, recognition is occurring at the city and state level, with strong movement toward federal recognition of LGBTQ+ businesses.
As of January 2021, New York City recognized LGBTQ-owned companies as minority-owned businesses, making them eligible for billions in city contracts, as well as access to consulting, mentorship, educational programs and other resources.
In Canada however, the federal government lags behind in recognition of the LGBTQ+ business community within the same categorization, which prevents them from benefiting from government funds.
Small businesses/new entrepreneurs want to have a range of finance options, including loans, grants and investment.
Intersectional business owners found it especially challenging to gain access to funding.
Methodology
This exploratory study focused on businesses in six North American cities: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles.
There were two parts to the exploratory study:
A survey of business leaders
Interviews with leaders of organizations that represent, support or advocate for the LGBTQ+ business community.
Survey: The pilot survey was open to any senior executive or founder of a business that is majority owned by a self-identified member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Interviews: Structured interviews were conducted with leaders of the LGBT Chambers of Commerce, with leaders of similar advocacy organizations and with LGBTQ+ business leaders.
A wide range of businesses were included, varying in size and sector, mainly service and technology-based businesses.
The demographics presented in the findings may be reflective of our approach to participants through city business Chambers, with the Canadian Chambers as the main partners.
This study is replicable in more cities and across a greater number of industries.
The survey was available in both English and French with data being gathered from May 2021 and is current as of the publication date of this release.
“Our research team at Carleton University was pleased to undertake this exciting research. The findings of our exploratory study demonstrate the need to better understand the LGBTQ2S+ business community and the opportunities that exist to realize the full potential of LGBTQ2S+ entrepreneurs and businesses, which already make a significant contribution to the Canadian and American economies” said Dr. Dana Brown, Dean at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business along with Drs Alastair Summerlee, Adjunct Professor and Rick Colbourne, Assistant Dean, Equity and Inclusive Communities.
The study also confirmed trends that Lightspeed reported during its third quarter earnings regarding revenue growth in Australia which had recently re-opened its economy. Much like those findings revealed, LGBTQ+ respondents of our North American study said that they were intentionally buying local and supporting cities and neighborhoods to recover. This was also in line with our pan-European consumer behaviour results, which showed that Europeans have been returning to in-person dining and willing to pay more, tip more and prioritize local restaurants over chains.
It is also being extended to the UK where it will be led by the University of Southampton Center for Inclusive and Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in partnership with the Innovation Hub and Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.
About Lightspeed
Powering the businesses that are the backbone of the global economy, Lightspeed’s one-stop commerce platform helps merchants innovate to simplify, scale and provide exceptional customer experiences. The cloud solution transforms and unifies online and physical operations, multichannel sales, expansion to new locations, global payments, financing and connection to supplier networks.
Founded in Montréal, Canada in 2005, Lightspeed is dual-listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange (NYSE: LSPD) (TSX: LSPD). With teams across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the company serves retail, hospitality and golf businesses in over 100 countries.
Carleton is a dynamic, research-intensive institution that engages in partnerships to address the world’s most pressing issues. The university’s corporate collaborations bring together world-class companies, researchers and a new generation of talent of more than 32,000 students to deliver innovations and results that are driving a more prosperous, sustainable future.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may include forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions and are identified by words such as “will”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates” or similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Such statements are based on current expectations of Lightspeed’s management and inherently involve numerous risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, including economic factors. A number of risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, including, among other factors, those risk factors identified in our most recent Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, under “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Information Form, and in our other filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available under our profiles on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully when making decisions with respect to Lightspeed’s subordinate voting shares and not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and, while forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions that Lightspeed considers reasonable, actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by Lightspeed. Except as may be expressly required by applicable law, Lightspeed does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
In this episode of OutBüro Voices featuring LGBTQ professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from around the world, host Dennis Velco chats with Curtis Danskin-Ainslie: Helping Entrepreneurs with Virtual Assistants & Life Purpose Coaching.
In this lively, open, and candid conversation, we cover quite a bit – so be sure to listen in.
Curtis started his career in music as a became musical director of a church. He lived oppressing his own identity to fit in marrying his best female friend. He came out as gay at the tender age of 42. He started the virtual assistance business to help other entrepreneurs focus on running and growing their business taking on many of the back-office tasks for clients. He also provides entrepreneur coaching. He has several contractors with various skills around the US that he leverages to support entrepreneurs in many aspects of their business. Entrepreneurs are typically not great in all aspects of running a business. OCR Virtual allows business owners to as needed add incremental help. 72% of small businesses fail within the first 3 years trying to do everything themselves. Often, small business owners will look at the cost of getting help failing to realize hiring someone who is an expert at those tasks can do it better and that frees up the business owner to focus on customer/client growth. Curtis says to bring on support when you feel all things are crazy. They can help to give the business owner relief.
In his life purpose coaching, he helps people find their place in the world. As an ordained minister, and having lived in the closet for many years, he knows what that feels like and trying to reconcile faith and identity. In his life coaching, he focuses on helping LGBTQ+ people come to terms with past religious-induced rejection and trauma. Curtis believes that what happens to us shapes us and we can put things in the past into perspective and draw strength from it to grow and prosper. We chatted about setting boundaries with others and living in self-love.
To connect with Curtis find him on OutBüro here. https://outburo.com/profile/orcvirtual/
Join Curtis’ Group on OutBüro titled Entrepreneur Mindset Support: https://outburo.com/community/groups/entrepreneurial-mindset-support/
Join me and Curtis on OutBüro, the LGBTQ professional and entrepreneur online community network for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, allies, and our employers who support LGBTQ welcoming workplace equality-focused benefits, policies, and business practices. https://www.OutBuro.com
Would you like to be featured like this? Contact the host Dennis Velco. https://outburo.com/profile/dennisvelco/
In this episode of OutBüro Voices featuring LGBTQ professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from around the world, host Dennis Velco chats with Bob Witeck, a legend in the LGBTQ marketing space. He founded the first LGBTQ marketing communications agency helping brands connect with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.
Bob grew up in the Washington D.C. area. For 10 years he was the Press Secretary to a US Senator. After his time there he became a vice president of the global marketing communications firm. Hill+Knowlton. He was very active as a volunteer in the #gay, #lesbian, #bisexual, #transgender, and #queer community. He always believed corporations were natural allies of the LGBTQ+ community and sought to bridge his passion for the LGBTQ+ community with his skills and professional life.
He and a good friend launch Witeck+Combs in 1993. Their first client was American Airlines. Witeck has always taken a full consultative approach. Early clients needed diversity and inclusion consulting going beyond just marketing and communications. At #AmericanAirlines one of his suggestions creating employee resource groups which were not common then. Witeck further assisted with policies and employee benefits to be inclusive. Companies had to remain grounded in their integrity to live through the right-wing threats of boycotts. Witeck has served numerous other brands such as #Ford and #IBM. Companies wanted to understand the business case and also how best to deal with the anti-LGBTQ backlash.
#Disney was the host of the very first employee resource Group of Groups in the mid 1990’s that became #Out&Equal.
Witeck was instrumental in taking the very unknown Coming Out Day to a national and international day on October 11th each year. They worked with several actors and public figures to help create buzz for this now commonly known event. Oct 11th was chosen because it was the date of the 1987 March on Washington. Many LGBTQ organizations were spawned at the first march and many thereafter.
Witeck helped the MTV Logo network launch. He often had to attend meetings with broadcast networks to explain the business case for airing the new channel. Their goal for the day of launch was to reach 10-million households. They surpassed that reaching 18-million which launched #RuPauls media career. Witeck wrote and recorded customer service scripts for all the broadcast networks to use when answering customer’s questions about Logo. Those scripts and recordings are now housed at the #Smithsonian as an archive record.
Witeck was also the marketing and communication agency representing actor Christopher Reeve to help him get coverage for his spinal cord injury recovery efforts.
Join me and Bob on OutBüro, the LGBTQ professional and entrepreneur online community network for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, allies, and our employers who support LGBTQ welcoming workplace equality-focused benefits, policies, and business practices. https://www.OutBuro.com
Would you like to be featured like this? Contact the host Dennis Velco. https://outburo.com/profile/dennisvelco/
This recognition comes as Randstad hires a new leader to further enhance its global supplier diversity and inclusion program
ATLANTA, June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Randstad North America today announced that it was named a 2021 Top Ten Global Champion for Supplier Diversity & Inclusion, recognizing its commitment to global inclusive sourcing from diverse groups including minority, women, LGBT, and disabled-owned businesses.
Randstad was chosen for the honor based on the success of its supplier diversity program, including senior leadership support, program scope, supplier development and global spend with diverse suppliers.
“Randstad is proud to create economic opportunities for underrepresented communities by supporting diverse-owned businesses throughout our supply chain,” said Karen Fichuk, CEO, Randstad North America and Executive Board Member, Randstad N.V. “We see our supplier diversity program as a way to positively impact minority communities and as a competitive advantage for Randstad and our customers.”
“It is very important to us that our workforce and our supplier base represent the individuals that we help find jobs on a daily basis,” said Rebecca Henderson CEO, Randstad Sourceright Global Businesses and Executive Board Member. “Randstad’s commitment to supplier diversity and inclusion is directly aligned with our ongoing efforts to provide equitable opportunities to those who need it most.”
Further underscoring the importance of its supplier diversity program, Randstad North America recently hired Nino Campos as global supplier diversity manager. Campos has more than 13 years of experience building a diverse supplier base and implementing creative strategies to achieve supplier diversity goals. Throughout his career, Mr. Campos has focused on locating, mentoring and developing diverse suppliers as part of sourcing and procurement strategies.
“I am thrilled to welcome Nino as part of the Randstad North America diversity team,” said Audra Jenkins, Chief Diversity Officer, Randstad North America. “Our diverse workforce helps us better understand the needs of those we serve and work with, and Nino’s expertise will further elevate our program.”
ABOUT RANDSTAD
Randstad North America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad N.V., a €20.7 billion global provider of flexible work and human resources services. As a trusted human partner in the technology-driven world of talent, we combine the expertise and passion of our employees with some of the most innovative HR technologies on the market today to advance the careers and business success of our candidates and clients.
Randstad’s North American operations comprise 5,700 associates and a deployed workforce of more than 86,000 in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to staffing and recruitment, Randstad offers outsourcing, consulting and workforce management solutions for generalist and specialist disciplines, including technology, engineering, accounting and finance, clinical and non-clinical healthcare, human resources, legal, life sciences, manufacturing and logistics, office and administration and sales and marketing. Global concepts available to North American client companies include RPO, MSP, integrated talent solutions, payrolling and independent contractor management and career transition services. Learn more at www.randstadusa.com or www.randstad.ca.
SOURCE Randstad US
CONTACT: Scott Lusk, 1.202.288.3233, scott@marathonstrategies.com; Kiara Reynolds-Westry, 678.624.2472, kiara.reynolds-westry@randstadusa.com
Site Features Exclusive Recipes by Chef Elizabeth Falkner, Special Offers, LGBT-Owned Brands, Kellogg’s Together With Pride LTO Cereal and More
Giant Commits to Match P&G to Donate $25,000 to Support Can’t Cancel Pride 2021
LANDOVER, Md., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Giant Food today announces that it has teamed up with Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Kellogg’s to celebrate Pride Month. Throughout June, a dedicated immersive e-commerce experience on GiantFood.com features exclusive recipes curated by celebrity chef, cookbook author and LGBTQ+ advocate Elizabeth Falkner and special offers from participating brands. The pages spotlight LGBT-owned brands and offer customers the opportunity to get involved with Can’t Cancel Pride 2021.
“We’re excited to team up with P&G and Kellogg’s to celebrate Pride Month and support the diverse voices that make our communities so special,” said Ira Kress, President of Giant Food and Executive Sponsor of Giant’s Pride Business Resource Group. “Over the past year, we have been working to bring more awareness to our LGBT-owned products through our shelf labeling program and media campaigns. The Pride Month online experience is another great opportunity for customers to discover these products and join us in supporting our LGBT business partners.”
Throughout the month of June, Giant customers can shop special online offers on select items from P&G to help them celebrate Pride Month, including ingredients featured in four exclusive recipes Chef Falkner has created for Giant customers:
Fish Tacos with Enselada de Repollo
Baba Ganouj
Kale Salad with Cashews, Mozzarella and Cumin Lime Vinaigrette
Thai Flavors Chicken Burger with Peanut Chili Special Sauce and Ginger Slaw
Each recipe on GiantFood.com is paired with a video of Chef Falkner preparing the recipe, plus a full shopping list and instructions, making it easy to prepare tasty recipes to share with family and friends in celebration of Pride Month. Customers can order all the ingredients straight to their doors through Giant Delivers or schedule a pickup at their local store through Giant Pickup. Customers can also receive free pickup on Giant Pickup orders when spending $15 or more on participating items and free delivery on Giant Delivers orders of $25 or more on participating items.
Giant is also offering Kellogg’s limited-edition Together With Pride cereal both in-store and online throughout the month of June. The Together With Pride cereal, featuring berry-flavored rainbow hearts dusted with edible glitter, made by Kellogg’s in collaboration with GLAAD, supports the organization’s efforts in accelerating acceptance and advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community.
Giant’s Pride Month landing page spotlights LGBT-owned businesses as well as offers customers the opportunity to take part in Can’t Cancel Pride 2021, the celebration to raise visibility and funds benefitting organizations that positively impact and support the LGBTQ+ community. To support the event, Giant will match P&G and donate $12,500 for a total of $25,000 to benefit Can’t Cancel Pride 2021.
About Giant Food This year, Giant Food is celebrating 85 years as a community grocery store. Since opening its first location on Georgia Ave. in Washington, DC in 1936, Giant has been an integral part of its customers’ lives and the communities it serves. Giant is committed to being a Better Neighbor and has designated four main giving pillars that address local Food Insecurity, Military Support, Pediatric Cancer Research and Social Equality. Giant is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 164 stores are 152 full-service pharmacies, 82 full-service PNC Banks and 24 Starbucks locations. Giant fits all the ways today’s busy customers want to shop – whether in store or online. With 147 Giant Pickup locations and Giant Delivery available to all market areas in DC, MD, VA and DE, customers have even more convenient options right at their fingertips to get the best product and prices, whenever and however they want. For more information on Giant, visit: www.giantfood.com.
SOURCE Giant Food
CONTACT: Daniel Wolk, 301-980-3762, Daniel.Wolk@giantfood.com, Felis Andrade, 301-341-3117, Felis.Andrade@giantfood.com
View original content to download multimedia:
