Philadelphia

Philadelphia-Area LGBTQ Business Community Sees Growth

The Independence Business Alliance started two programs aimed at bringing in more members across multiple intersections of identity

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Philadelphia’s LGBTQ business community made strides in recent years, but members of the community say there’s still a long way to go for the region.

The Independence Business Alliance is the Philadelphia region’s LGBTQ chamber of commerce. IBA works with more than 40-certified LGBTQ business enterprises based in 11 counties across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Zach Wilcha, executive director of the Independence Business Alliance, said the organization has grown in the last several years and is modeling itself after other minority chambers in the area in accelerating business growth.

Since joining the organization four years ago, Wilcha said he’s been actively working to diversify the chamber’s membership and board. IBA started two programs aimed at bringing in more members across multiple intersections of identity: Transwork, an initiative to get transgender and non-binary individuals hired; and Intersections, a series of programming for Philadelphia’s African American, Asian American and Hispanic American communities done in partnership with PHL Diversity. 

For more on the strides that Philly's LGBTQ business community has made, visit PBJ.com.

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