WBENC Celebrates PRIDE!

WBENC is joining in on the celebration of Pride Month this June and creating a program to support and strengthen our community of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and corporate professionals.

June is Pride Month, commemorating the spark of the modern gay rights movement — the 1969 Stonewall uprising against police brutality led by Queer People of Color. This month, we are proud to spotlight LGBTQ+ voices in the WBENC network and launch a new program, Women & Pride, to support and strengthen this community. Throughout the month of June, we will be highlighting our vibrant ecosystem of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, and allies in the WBENC network!

The business impact of the LGBTQ+ community:

• LGBTQ-owned businesses contribute over $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy. Source 
• The LGBTQ+ community has over $3.7 trillion in purchasing power, globally. Source
• One in six adults in Generation Z (aged 18 to 23) identify as LGBTQ+. Source 
• 9.1% of millennials in the United States identify as LGBTQ+. Source 
• 4.1% is the estimated percentage of women who identify as LGBTQ+. Source 
• In the LGBTQ+ community, 350,000 people identify as transgender women. Source 
• 25% of LGBTQ employees report staying in a job due to a LGBTQ-inclusive work environment. Source 

NEW Program Launch: Announcing Women & Pride!

Women & Pride is a new WBENC outreach and development program designed to support and strengthen the community of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and corporate professionals within the WBENC network and beyond. Through this program we will work to cultivate an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ individuals in our network.

Upcoming Events:

The Women & Pride program will kick off with a virtual event on Thursday, June 17, from 2:00pm to 3:30pm EST. Join us for the Women & Pride Keynote with special guest, Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting. Following the keynote, Jennifer will lead an engaging panel discussion featuring prominent LGBTQ+ leaders.

Jennifer Brown (she/her/hers) is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, author, and diversity and inclusion expert who is deeply passionate about building more inclusive workplaces where more of us can feel welcomed, valued, respected, and heard. As the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC), a certified woman- and LGBT-owned firm, Jennifer and her team design and execute inclusion strategies that have been implemented by some of the biggest companies and nonprofits in the world. She is also the bestselling author, podcast host, and a sought-after keynote speaker and expert for leading research institutions and business schools. She lives in New York City with her partner of over 20 years, Michelle.

More session details to come!

Register Now

Sabrina Kent (she/her/hers)

Senior Vice President, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)

As Senior Vice President at NGLCC, Sabrina Kent serves as a member of NGLCC’s Executive Leadership and oversees the NGLCC TGNC Inclusion Task Force. Sabrina works with the organization’s Supplier Diversity Initiative and is the liaison to the NGLCC Board of Directors. Sabrina was recognized by Business Equality Magazine as a 2019 Top 40 LGBT Leader Under 40 and in 2020 by Crain’s New York Business in its Notable LGTBQ Leaders and Executives list. Sabrina serves on the Board of Directors of Q Street.

Catherine M. Pino (she/her/hers)

CEO & Founder, D&P Creative Strategies

From working her way through college in her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to optimizing millions of dollars for community impact, to being on the front lines fighting for civil rights and in the halls of Congress, Catherine Pino, Co-founder & CEO of D&P Creative Strategies, is devoted to creating a more prosperous future for communities of color.

As the keeper of the creative vision for D&P, and the architect of the firm’s philanthropic strategy, Catherine brings her passion for social justice, equity, and philanthropy to the heart of the firm’s work. Her track record includes a variety of invaluable experiences:

• Developing the Familia es Familia campaign to build bridges between the Latinx and LGBTQ+ community.
• Establishing Poder PAC, the first-of-its-kind political action committee dedicated to increasing Latina representation in Congress.
• Creating Freemind Beauty Productions, dedicated to telling stories about marginalized communities.

Jackie Richter (she/her/hers)

Founder & President, Heels & Hardhats and Endurance Utility Services 

Jackie Richter is the founder and president of both Heels & Hardhats and Endurance Utility Services. Her companies are 100% women-owned and operated specialty contracting businesses that provide solutions in the heavy highway and utility construction industries. Certified as both LGBT business enterprises (LGBTBEs) and women business enterprises (WBEs),  Jackie’s companies are driven by her mission to train, promote, and utilize women and others underrepresented in the construction trades. She is proud to employ a diverse workforce comprised of multi-talented individuals trained in various aspects of construction. Jackie is also very active in fundraising for the Howard Brown Health Center as well as the Lesbian Community Cancer Project.

Tarrance Frierson (he/him/his)

Director, Global Supplier Diversity, Bristol Myers Squibb

Tarrance Frierson is currently – Director, Global Supplier Diversity at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he is instrumental in helping drive the supplier diversity commitment to spend $1 billion dollars with diverse suppliers by 2025 and beyond. His primary focus is spend analytics and forecasting, implementation of the supplier development programs, and leading other key strategic initiatives. He is also involved in strengthening alliances and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

Prior to Bristol Myers Squibb, Tarrance worked at Southern California Edison where he led the supplier diversity team and directed the company’s compliance with applicable rules, regulations and public laws related to small and diverse business procurement. He has over a decade of experience in various leadership roles within multiple industries – communications, insurance, retail, and utilities. Tarrance has experience leading cross-functional project teams, managing large budgets, developing strategies, and negotiating contracts.