We recently sat down with Jason Rae, President and CEO of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, to discuss why his organization decided to engage Rivet and what they hope to get out of our platform. Read more below:
Can you give us a profile and brief description of your organization and what you do for them?
The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce is a statewide organization of nearly 700 LGBTQ-owned and allied-owned businesses working to create a more welcoming & inclusive community. We provide our members with educational and business development programs, networking opportunities, and tools to help them grow and strengthen their business.
Why did your company choose to use Rivet? What was it that drew you in?
At the heart of business are connections. As we continue to navigate the world with COVID and others, we realized we wanted to provide a way for those that may not come to events for a variety of reasons (scheduling, not comfortable, too far away, etc.) to continue to build connections with other business owners and leaders. The ease of quickly pairing kindred matches drew us in to Rivet. The team has been great to work with, and we’re really excited as they continue to grow the tool.
How is your organization using Rivet?
We are using Rivet for our Rainbow Connection program. Near the end of every month, we are going in and doing a new round of matches so everyone gets one new connection a month. We encourage them to reach out and set up time for Zoom, coffee, or even coming together to an upcoming Chamber event. We’ve done two rounds of matching and it has been so rewarding hearing the stories of the new business connections people are making.
What do you want to accomplish by using this software?
For us, it’s really simple – we want our Chamber members to feel more connected to other members. As a statewide organization, people outside of Milwaukee or Madison or Green Bay don’t often get to know those from the other cities. This is breaking down that wall. We also want to increase our engagement with members. I’m an introvert myself and don’t always enjoy networking at events. This tool is allowing us to engage members like me who still want to grow their network but who may be more introverted.
How do you think your organization is leading the way on connection and growth in the workplace?
The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber is leading the way in helping individuals committed to building a diverse business community build connection and grow their network. We’re stronger together, and we can’t wait to continue to see our Chamber members build new relationships as they work to grow their business.
Would you like to share any other cool things your company has been up to lately?
We’ll be having some exciting announcements soon as we continue to help our businesses bounce back from COVID. Stay tuned! But first, if you aren’t a member, sign up today at WisLGBTChamber.com and help us continue building one of the nation’s largest pro-fairness business communities.
To schedule a demo with Rivet, contact us here.