As I walked into the Lumen’s Light & Living show room I was not sure what to expect. This was my first Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce (SRCC) mixer. You may be as surprised as I was to learn that Sacramento has a chamber of commerce focused on businesses and supporters of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. I stumbled upon them at a small business – government networking event at the Citrus Heights Community Center where the SRCC had a table.
Because I was getting my insurance business started, I routinely attended any mixer, chamber or networking event I could find. Any apprehensions I had about the SRCC melted away within minutes as I was surrounded by professional men and women from a variety of industries. Before the evening was over I had talked to lawyers, consultants’ writers, bankers, real estate agents, insurance agents, landscapers, and the list goes on.
On its face, the SRCC membership mirrors virtually any other chamber in the area with a variety of industries represented. You have the large institutions such as Wells Fargo Bank, Western Health Advantage, SMUD and Hyatt Regency Hotel Sacramento. Then you have the small to medium businesses like chiropractors, optometrists, travel agencies, promotional companies, florists and many more. Many of the other local chambers are also members such as Citrus Heights, Black, Hispanic, Asian and Metro chambers.
Just as you don’t have to be Asian or Pacific Islander to join the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, you don’t have to identify yourself as a member of the LGBT community to join the SRCC. Similar to the other chambers, the SRCC raises funds to provide scholarships and grants to non-profit organization that are important to their membership such as CARES and Breaking Barriers.
However, one of the best parts of the SRCC is the great venues for the mixers. In addition to Lumens, we have had events at Michael Kennedy Gallery, Kershaw, Cutter and Ratinoff, Family Wealth Law Group, Natomas Raquet Club, SMUD, Wells Fargo and 3 Fires Lounge, all with incredible catering and adult beverages. The mixers are way too fun.
The second best part of this small chamber of commerce is the people you will meet. They are very friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, loyal and a wealth of information. Truly, I have learned more from this chamber and their variety of events to help my business grow than any other organization I have belonged to. Icing on the cake are the invaluable friendships I have made with the other members. I encourage anyone who wants to know more about the SRCC or the community it focuses on to attend a mixer as my guest. You will be rewarded with more than just business contacts.
