Mass. LGBT Chamber of Commerce expands into Western Mass.

Date: 12/31/2021

WESTERN MASS. – The Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce officially launched its expansion into Western Massachusetts on Dec. 7. The newest headquarters is located at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley.

Grace Moreno, the executive director of the chamber, told Reminder Publishing that their organization has been active in Western Mass. since their inception four years ago, building relationships with 30 different members from this part of the state through monthly trips prior to the pandemic.

“To actually get staff and actively get up and running, we had to secure corporate partnerships,” said Moreno, when describing the official physical move into Western Mass. “MassMutual has been a corporate partner from the beginning, but we picked up Berkshire Bank along the way …and then ALKU recently.”
The chamber has formed other corporate partnerships in Western Massachusetts, and according to Moreno, these relationships are important to the success of LGBTQIA+ businesses because they need somewhere to procure from. The overall goal of the chamber, which is headquartered in Boston, is to help LGBTQIA+-owned and operated businesses to grow and succeed.

So far, the chamber hired a director for the Mount Holyoke location, and they are looking to hire another staff person to be of support. The chamber has also raised some money out in Western Mass. to continue the expansion and grow even larger. “I think the ultimate dream is, how do we get eastern dollars spent on the western part of the state,” said Moreno. “That’s sort of the big next push.”

In talking with corporations and local businesses in Western Mass., Moreno said most people are very excited and optimistic about the expansion. “People really see the value that we bring … we’ve proven that time and again with programming that we do and what we bring to the small business community,” said Moreno. “One of our core pillars is to be innovative, and I think people expect innovation from the eastern part of the state … the western part of the state is often like, ‘what about us?’”

Beyond the positive reception, Moreno; from a general perspective; noted how warm and welcoming the LGBTQIA+ business community is on all sides of the state, an attribute that is sometimes lacking within the heterosexual business side. Moreno said that there are around 21,000 LGBTQIA+-owned businesses in Massachusetts, contributing $49 billion to the state economy each year.

The Western Massachusetts initiative was officially announced at Keystone Mill on Dec. 7, 2021 with Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle. “This is a proud moment for Easthampton and Western Massachusetts,” said LaChapelle. “This part of the state is an important economic driver for the entire commonwealth. Having the support and resources of these organizations will be a game changer for many small businesses.”

Several local businesses participated in the Dec. 7 event including KW Home, Fauxmaggio, Berkshire Botanicals, Devin Devon Footwear, Only in my Dreams Events, LLC, Paraphernalia Pack, Oxbow Design Build, Gamut Pins, and The Bower Studio.

Lawyers for Civil Rights and the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts also announced their plans to expand to Massachusetts in 2022, but few details have been administered at this moment.