SMBs.com
Buyer persona

NGLCC-certified LGBTQ+ business owner

Owners of the 3,400+ NGLCC-certified LGBTQ+-owned businesses + the broader ~1.4M owner-operated firms that supply Fortune 500 supplier-diversity programs.

NGLCC-certified firms
3,400+
Fortune 500 corporate partners
375
Total economic contribution
$1.7T

Who they are

NGLCC certification opens supplier-diversity tracks at 375 Fortune 500 buyers committing ~$1.7T in addressable spend. Owners are corporate-savvy and motivated by RFP wins - pitch the buyer-side procurement angle, not the social-justice angle.

Common titles

FounderCEOPrincipalManaging Partner

Where they live online

  • NGLCC annual conference
  • StartOut founders network
  • WBENC + NGLCC joint events
  • Lesbians Who Tech summit

Common objections

Are you certified-friendly (NGLCC awareness, EEO data)?

Mention NGLCC by name and reference any Fortune 500 partners you have in supplier-diversity programs.

Will you keep this confidential?

Yes - many owners are out professionally but careful about marketing materials. Ask before naming the firm in your case studies.

Message templates that work

Supplier-diversity team intro
Subject: Tier-1 supplier-diversity intro for {{Company}}
Hi {{FirstName}},

NGLCC-certified, working with {{reference}}. I help LGBTQ+-owned firms win supplier-diversity bids at Fortune 500 buyers (recent: {{outcome}}).

If {{Company}} is building out a corporate procurement pipeline, 15 min next week?

{{Sender}}