About The Chamber

We are a community of members that create, identify, and enhance business opportunities for LGBTQ+ and allied organizations through advocacy, promotion, and facilitation of the success of the LGBTQ+ business community and our allies to foster a more inclusive and vibrant economy in Kansas City and across the Mid-America region.

Our guiding principles are equality, inclusion, economics, and education.

Where We Came From...

In November of 2010, Dan Nilsen, CEO of Bishop-McCann, gained certification as a gay owned business with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) at the encouragement of a large client of his company. The NGLCC’s mission resonated with Dan so much that he took on the challenge of starting an affiliate chamber to serve the Kansas City LGBTQ+ and allied community. Dan assembled a board of talented business professionals from a variety of backgrounds. This founding board of passionate and visionary leaders worked to lay the foundation for what our Chamber would become.

On May 31, 2012, the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce officially kicked-off with a huge community celebration that included over 200 attendees and a personal address from then Mayor of Kansas City, Hon. Sly James. Since then the chamber has experienced rapid growth with members engaging monthly at networking events, professional development programming, community partner events, and our annual signature events.

and Where We're Going!

The Board of Directors meets annually to define strategic initiatives for the Chamber. After a period of rapid growth and change, including the chamber’s recent renaming, rebranding, and hiring of a new full-time Executive Director, an underlying theme of the 2019 meeting was to develop and mature the Chamber’s member engagement, leadership, and processes.

To that end, the Board identified the following strategic initiatives that will lead the board into and through 2020:

Analyze the Current State of Membership: We will listen to our membership, identify gaps and opportunities, and devise new ways to engage and partner with current members, attract new members, and increase member retention year over year.
Redefine Roles and Responsibilities of Board Members: The Board of Directors has always been a working board, meaning that our board members often take on direct responsibilities and leading roles for the chamber committees and programs. This year the board will institutionalize these standards for ourselves and future board members with minimum engagement requirements.
Mature the Chamber’s Voice in the Broader LGBT and Kansas City Business Community: The Chamber has many important relationships and partnerships within the greater Kansas City and LGBT community. This year, these relationships will be formalized to ensure greater engagement and partnership in programming and community development.

These initiatives will achieve the following objectives:

Grow the chamber’s value to membership
Establish a firmer financial footing, which positions the organization to grow
Raise the chamber’s profile in the Kansas City area and Mid-America

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors is responsible for the strategic direction, financial sustainability, and effective execution of programs and services under the leadership of the Executive Director. They meet monthly and all board minutes and governing documents are public and on file with the Office of the Secretary of State of Missouri.

Nominations for the Board of Directors are open every year and managed by the Nominations Committee under the leadership of the Chamber Secretary. Typically, successful candidates are individuals who positively contribut to the success of the Chamber, the LGBTQ+ community, and greater Kansas City area.

If you are interested in being considered for the Board of Directors, please submit your Board Member Application.