Celebrating Inclusiveness in Nashville Business
The Nashville LGBT Chamber will present its annual business awards at a high-profile event on Friday, June 3, 2022 at the Music City Center.
Support the Nashville LGBT Chamber Foundation at our annual Pride in Business Awards, which includes a Who’s Who of Corporate leaders, small business owners, civic leaders, and professionals. While reimagined for a virtual world, this high-energy event will still bring a powerful audience, emotional acceptance speeches, and optimism among those committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Tickets are on sale now!
Individual Tickets:
$75 members, $100 non-members
Half-Table Sponsorship:
$750 for 5 attendees
Table Sponsorship:
$1,500 for 10 attendees
presenting sponsor
title Sponsors
award Sponsors
venue host
Event Details
Stay Tuned- Details Coming Soon!
Award Descriptions
The LGBT Chamber presents seven awards (see award names and descriptions below):
Pride in Business Awards Descriptions
Corporate Partner of the Year
This award is given to an organization that is a corporate member of the LGBT Chamber and has shown a strong commitment to diversity in the workplace and to positively growing the LGBTQ and allied business community.
LGBT Business of the Year
This award is given to an LGBTQ-owned business that is a member of the Chamber, is an active participant in building a more diverse business community in Tennessee, and has a proven track record of success and involvement.
Allied Business of the Year
This award is given to an allied-owned business that is a member of the Chamber, is an active participant in building a more diverse business community in Tennessee, and has a proven track record of success and involvement.
Nonprofit Organization of the Year
This award is given to a nonprofit organization that is a member of the Chamber, with a proven track record of success and involvement and a commitment to building a diverse community.
Business Resource Group of the Year
This award is given to a business resource group at one of our corporate partners who works to support and build a culture of inclusion and acceptance.
Business Leader of the Year
This award is given to a hard-working and dedicated individual who has had a positive professional and personal impact on building a diverse business community in Tennessee.
Advocate of the Year
This award is given to an individual who has been a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity within the larger business community.
Click here for a historical list of nominees and winners.
Judging
The Chamber opens nominations. Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination form.
Nominees are assigned a category and sent a questionnaire for the appropriate category.
A diverse panel of judges, made up of Chamber board members and former award winners, score each questionnaire. The Chamber staff gives a score based on the nominees membership level and engagement in the Chamber. The 3 nominees in each category who receive the combined top scores are named the finalists.
Chamber members now get to vote for the winners. Each representative of a member gets one vote in each category. For example, a Silver level member has 4 representatives, so a Silver level member gets 4 votes, a Networking member gets 1 vote, etc. Finalists carry their judges’ scores with them all the way through voting. Members are adding points to the judges’ scores.
The finalist who receives the most points wins.
Past Pride in Business Winners
Corporate Diversity Award
2021 Bass, Berry & Sims
2019 Asurion
2018 Cracker Barrel and Dell
2017 Waller
2016 Baker Donelson
2015 Fifth Third Bank
2014 Nissan
2013 Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Small Business Diversity Award
2021 D’Andrews Bakery & Cafe
2019 Focus Middle Tennessee
2018 Medicopy
2017 The Turnip Truck
2016 GS&F
2015 Emma
Business Leader of the Year
2021 Hal Cato, Thistle Farms
2019 Pamela Sheffer, Oasis Center
2018 Kimberly Stephan-Tate, Asurion
2017 Paul Vasterling, Nashville Ballet
2016 Steve Smotherman, Cracker Barrel
2015 David Bzrozoski, Dollar General
2014 Bradley Pinson, Fifth Third Bank
2013 Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Entrepreneur of the Year
2021 Christopher Lester, Clifton + Leopold
2019 Jenny Ford, JF Government Strategies
2018 Phil Cobucci, BAM! Social Business
2017 John Dyke, The Turnip Truck
2016 Jack Davis, J.D. Events & Festivals
2015 Bruce Pittman, Bruce Pittman, Inc.
2014 Joey Amato, Unite Magazine
2013 Amos Gott, AmosEvents
Ally Award
2021 Donna Drehmann
2019 Kathy Halbrooks, PFLAG
2018 Bethany Mason, Dollar General
2017 Sean Henry, Nashville Predators
2016 Amy Parker, Deloitte
2015 Megan Barry
2014 Christopher Robinette, Mass Mutual (Capital Financial Group)
2013 Don Abel, Jr., Fifth Third Bank
Community Service Award
2021 Rev. Dawn Bennett, The Table
2019 Brian Marshall, MashUp Nashville
2018 Joe Woolley, Get It Done Solutions
2017 Launch Pad Volunteers
2016 Jim Schmidt, Schmidt Government Solutions
2015 Marisa Richmond, Middle Tennessee State University
2014 Abby Rubenfeld, Rubenfeld Law Office
2013 Nashville CARES
Leadership in the Arts Award
2021 Nashville Children’s Theatre
2019 Belcourt Theatre
2018 Don Schlosser, Nashville in Harm
2017 OZ Arts Nashville
2016 Nashville Ballet
2015 Nashville Opera
2014 Jim Robert, ALIAS Chamber Ensemble
2013 Nashville in Harmony
President’s Award
2019 The Office of Mayor David Briley
2018 Ron Sanford
2017 Michael Burcham
2016 Jeremy Davis
2015 Kathy Werthan
2014 Bruce Pittman & Scotty Glasgow
2013 Michael Fluck
