To say that I’m honored to be a board member of the Golden Gate Business Association would be an understatement. When I think about the GGBA’s humble beginnings in 1974, when a small group of gay bar owners in the Castro collaborated to create the nation’s first LGBT Chamber of Commerce, I feel deeply moved to be a part of their legacy.
I feel proud to follow in the footsteps of members like iconic business owner and first openly gay elected official in California, Harvey Milk, and immediate past President and first openly trans President of the GGBA, Gina Grahame. These trailblazers and countless others have broken and continue to break down barriers of entry for LGBTQ owned businesses every day.
As someone who still hopes to one day own and operate their own business, I joined the GGBA in 2018 with hopes of learning how to lay the foundation for entrepreneurship and to navigate the many obstacles that currently exist for potential and current small business owners.
As a civically engaged community leader with an interest in furthering our LGBTQ community’s goals, I joined the board in late 2020 as Chair of Public Policy in hopes of working closely with our small businesses to communicate the needs and struggles that they face, pre- and post-pandemic. I believe that supporting our small businesses directly translates to sought after neighborhoods, strong communities, and a thriving economy.
In the past I’ve had the privilege of working for an LGBT nonprofit that assisted LGBT refugees in the Middle East and North African regions. I’ve held various board positions in a number of professional and political organizations, and most recently concluded my 2-year term as President of one of the largest Democratic clubs in San Francisco, the San Francisco Young Democrats. As Chair of Public Policy, I hope to utilize the skills and contacts I’ve acquired in order to bridge our small businesses and our elected officials while working towards policies and legislation that will benefit our LGBTQ and allied business community.
My goal is to lift the veil on local government by bringing officials to you, the members, so that your voices are heard; to show how small business owners can organize and work with stakeholders to pass legislation; and to work on the issues that are closest to you.
To that end, the GGBA is excited to announce the formation of the Small Business Advocacy Subcommittee and is looking for members who may be interested in joining. For more information or to get involved, please email [email protected]
Now more than ever do our businesses need our help. I am thrilled to be a part of the effort to save our small businesses and to continue to provide resources for them to grow.
Luis A. Zamora is a board member of the Golden Gate Business Association and an entrepreneur who hopes to one day own his own business.
