Our Statement

As an advocate of the regional business community, we recognize that addressing the evolving demographic changes in our region is fundamental to the growth and sustainability of our Members. Creating an inclusive environment that engages individuals reflective of the full spectrum of our region strengthens our organizations and is key to the success of Greater Philadelphia as a whole. We invite, and encourage, you to review the Chamber’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, along with recommended guidelines for our Members.

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Diversity and Inclusion at the Chamber

The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, in both its values and practices, is committed to inclusion and excellence in the management of all diverse people irrespective of differences. This means that there shall be no barriers to participation in any activity of this Chamber on the basis of economic position, gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability. We recognize that diverse perspectives are important and necessary for responsible and representative decision-making. We believe inclusiveness is a fundamental principle of every organization that enhances its ability to respond more effectively to changing demographics and needs. We affirm our commitment to reflecting the diversity of the Greater Philadelphia Region and the Members of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.

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Guidelines for member companies

The Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia urges our Member organizations, as we recognize the ever-changing demographics of our workforce and population, to consider the following benchmarks for your workplace. We believe that these standards are significant factors for growth and business success of our region.

Your Workforce:
We urge the building of a diverse workforce that is built on hiring and branding your organization from top to bottom as utilizing the best talent in the marketplace.

Your Workplace:
We urge the building of an inclusive culture within your organization where barriers, which impact your workforce, based upon artificial differences such as race, ethnic background, gender, gender identity, physical challenges or sexual orientation do not exist.

Your Leadership:
We urge your organization to seek out qualified diverse individuals to serve on your Board of Directors, Executive Committee and other leadership groups.

Your Profitability:
We urge the leveraging of your talent, diverse and non-diverse, within your workplace to achieve successful business outcomes internally and externally by reaching into new and expanding markets.

Your Community:
We urge the promotion of strategic alliances within the community and as part of regionally based organizations committed to valuing the success of those striving for the betterment of those in need within the region.

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CEO Access Network

The Purpose of CEO Access Network of Greater Philadelphia (Network) is to create an informal network of relationships between large business CEO’s and minority entrepreneurs in order to drive business and create economic opportunity for urban businesses and residents. The Network is comprised of large-business CEOs who are paired with minority CEOs to share advice and counsel, as well as, networking and business development opportunities. In its third year, the Network consists of 44 alumni members and 13 current pairings.

Criteria

Minority CEOs should have an existing business with at least three-year sales history with approximate annual sales in the most recent year of at least $500,000 and have demonstrated an increase in annual revenue in the prior year. The Network is only open to for-profit businesses that provide goods, services, technology, capital or resources to create jobs, wealth and a predictable rate of return to investors and owners.

Meetings

The Network meets four times per year for a breakfast meeting. The meetings last no more than 90 minutes and adjourn no later than 9:00 a.m. The meetings serve as a networking and business development breakfast. Each meeting features brief presentations by large business/minority CEOs on their activities, business opportunities, etc. There may also be a guest speaker presenting on a topic of interest to the group and its goals. Each year there will also be at least one “alumni” gathering at which current Network partners can interact with partners from the previous Network “classes.”

Partnership

A minority CEO will be partnered with a large-business CEO to share advice and counsel, as well as, provide networking and business development opportunities. In addition, the large-business CEO may want to introduce their Network partner to new social networks. The expectation is that the CEO partners will have interaction outside of the Network meetings themselves. The pairings should be done in such a way as to create opportunities for the minority business. It is expected that these pairings will last approximately one year for the purposes of the Network program, with the hope of establishing an enduring relationship for the partners moving forward.

Justification

A recent study by the Urban League of Philadelphia on the State of Black Philadelphia reported on urban challenges such as low median household income, unemployment, high poverty rate, and lack of small business growth. These challenges reflect the urgent need to improve economic conditions in our city and throughout our region. The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia believes that job and business creation through entrepreneurship are critical in helping to address these issues. By creating a vehicle for local urban minority entrepreneurs to build relationships with established CEO’s through the CEO Access Network, the business community can help move Greater Philadelphia forward in its quest to become a world class region.

If you are interested in being a part of this program and you meet the criteria for participation, please contact Malcolm Kenyatta at 215.790.3622 or mkenyatta@chamberphl.com.