LOCAL CHAMBERS & BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

Veterans in Business Network

SoCalGas provided a grant to the Veterans in Business Network for their national conference that is designed to help veteran businesses build connections between corporations, government agencies and primes looking to create partnerships for contracting opportunities. The conference helps build a supply chain of veteran businesses that are prepared to establish contracts with new clients. The Veterans in Business Network provides a free veteran business directory, business resources, educational seminars, outreach opportunities, a Veteran 2 Veteran Business cohort program, Boots to Contracts program, business development scholarships and more.

Women’s Business Enterprise Council – West

SoCalGas has been a long-standing supporter of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council. In 2022, a grant was provided to support several of their programs that advocate for procurement opportunities for women businesses, deliver innovative certificate programs, and promote business models that support growth and fiscal resiliency. SoCalGas’ financial support was directed towards the annual Strategic Procurement Opportunity Conference, the Platinum Supplier Program, and the annual National Black Business Pitch. The annual Strategic Procurement Opportunity Conference focused on creating genuine connections for success in the new normal by providing workshops on sustainability, industry engagement and networking. The Platinum Supplier Program is for certified women business enterprises that are looking to launch into corporate contracting – providing comprehensive training on corporate procurement processes, roles and responsibilities of supplier diversity professionals, and assistance with the completion of a capability statement and value proposition. The annual National Black Business Pitch is a virtual competition designed to connect Black-owned businesses to corporations that look to expand and diversify their supply chain with new products and services.

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

SoCalGas provided financial support to the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce for the International Business and Leadership conference that brings together nearly 2,000 LGBTQ and allied entrepreneurs, business owners, corporate representatives, and LGBT chamber leaders from across the country. The event delivers innovative leadership programing, networking and engagement opportunities, educational programs, one-on-one matchmaker meetings between suppliers and corporations, affiliate chamber programming, panel discussions, development seminars, and more. The conference is considered the most prestigious and largest LGBTQ business event in the world.