The Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) Foundation has a storied history that now goes back four decades.
Launch and Historic Firsts
In 1980, the GGBA created a foundation to act as the philanthropic arm of the association. In that first year, the foundation made two modest but historic grants of $500, including one to the Lesbian Rights Project, which later became the influential National Center for Lesbian Rights.
In 1982, the foundation became the first of its kind in the U.S. to make a grant to an AIDS service provider, the Kaposi’s Sarcoma Research and Education Foundation, later known as the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. It also was the first foundation to grant support to the inaugural Gay Games, when a handful of out gay athletes competed openly at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park.
Over the next few years, the GGBA Foundation issued grants to a litany of historic LGBTQ organizations and causes including Gay American Indians, Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, Community United Against Violence, the Academy Award winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, and Lyon-Martin Health Services, which provides nonjudgmental access to health care and is an essential part of life for many transgender, genderqueer, LGBTQ, women, and people of color in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 1988, the foundation spun off to become the Horizons Foundation, which has gone on to give over $48 million dollars in grants and is a top 10 funder of the LGBTQ movement.
A New Foundation Continuing to Make History
In 2017, the GGBA created a new, 501c3 foundation to promote diversity by funding educational opportunities for the LGBT and allied business community of the Bay Area.
The board of this new foundation is filled with professionals who are also lifelong proponents of the LGBTQ business community, including a number of past GGBA presidents and board members.
In 2020, the GGBA Foundation will launch the CEO High Performance Acceleration Program: a first of its kind training program designed to help a small group of LGBT business enterprises to achieve breakthrough performance.
GGBA Foundation Board
Jerry Becerra
Jerry Becerra, President
The President of the Barbary Insurance Brokerage, Becerra has been a licensed property and casualty insurance agent since 1983. “There are a lot of things that work for generating business but the real secret is hard work and consistency,” he shares about his success. “However, if I had to give one piece of advice, it is to be an active member in your community. We sell a promise to help in tough times, and the best way to prove you will be there then is to be there now.”
Lance Dorsey
Lance Dorsey, Secretary
Dorsey is the Senior Manager of Inclusive Hiring at the McKesson Corporation. In 2018 he received a Supplier Diversity Award from the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council for his “unparalleled contribution, passion, and leadership on WRMSDC’s recruiting efforts and Northern California strategy,” and for his work in mentoring minority businesses.
Dawn Ackerman
Dawn Ackerman, Treasurer
Ackerman is the President and CEO of Outsmart Office Solutions, one of the first companies to become certified as a National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) LGBT Business Enterprise. The business was awarded the 2012 Supplier of the Year by the NGLCC. She is a past-president of the GGBA, past-president of the LAGLCC (Los Angeles LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce), and the 2017 Legacy Award winner from the NGLCC for her decades of tireless advocacy for the LGBT business community.
Robb Fleischer
Robb Fleischer
An American Marketing Systems Inc (AMSI) CEO, CFO, and Broker, Fleischer is a past president of the GGBA and has been an out advocate for, and representative of, the LGBT business community in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1983.
Audry deLucia
Audry deLucia
A former president of the GGBA, deLucia is the Co-Owner and President of ellaprint, a full-service award and commercial printing manufacturer.
Jay Greene
Jay Greene
Greene, JD, CPA, is an attorney at his namesake San Francisco-based The Greene Law Firm, which handles estate, probate, and elder law.
Stacey Blanda
Stacey Blanda
Blanda since 2013 has been a Controller for the Golden State Warriors.
To donate to, or to learn more about, the GGBA Foundation, contact GGBAFoundation@ggba.com. Additional information is also at https://www.ggbafoundation.org/
Published on February 27, 2020
The GGBA Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the CEO High-Performing Acceleration Program (HPAP), which is a new deep-dive program centered on three key initiatives:
How It Works
The HPAP’s eight-month program guides participants through the central roadblocks of scaling a small business to achieve twice their current annual revenue as well as long-term stability. The workshops and coaching sessions provide value and insights to business owners who can start to implement these skills from day one in their companies. The subjects include:
Each month’s session includes roundtable discussions, facilitator interaction, progress tracking, peer accountability, high intensity training, and individual coaching sessions via industry leading speakers and coaches. Additionally, each participant receives one-on-one coaching sessions between the monthly class sessions.
Partners and Sponsors
The HPAP is brought to life with the assistance of the GGBA’s incredible partners, each with a long history of helping and advocating for LGBT businesses. They include Wells Fargo ( https://www.wellsfargo.com/ ) and the Granite Solutions Groupe ( https://www.granitesolutionsgroupe.com/ ).
The Team
The GGBA Foundation has enlisted industry leading talent to oversee the creation, development, and implementation of the program. Key amongst those are Collaboration LLC ( https://collaboration-llc.com/ )—a business consulting firm founded by Michael Gunther—and the Grahame Institute of Strategic Communication ( https://www.thegisc.com/ ), founded by GGBA President Gina Grahame.
What Participants Will Achieve
By the end of the HPAP program, participants will have developed a clear strategic direction and implementation plan for their business. They will have learned the necessary skills, solutions, and strategies necessary for their company to achieve breakthrough performance. After the training, the plan they have created will serve as a roadmap and framework to achieve their future growth goals.
Who Should Attend
Existing business owners should consider attending if they have a strong desire to grow a scalable, profitable, and sustainable business to match their vision, but may be struggling with time, resources, skills, and knowledge to make their goals a reality.
Ready, Set, Grow!
The HPAP program is set to launch in Spring 2020. To learn more about securing a seat in the inaugural class, contact HPAP@ggba.com
Published on February 27, 2020
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