Page 32 - BEQ Magazine Iss 19

Left: Peter to four years to LGBTQ and allied students who business community with education providers.
Pak (he/him), exhibit leadership potential, demonstrate strong “We lead the efforts to aggressively recruit new
owner of Oma
Bap, received academic abilities, and are actively involved in their employers, to foster and encourage entrepreneurship
a Ready for schools and community. and to assist existing businesses by asking, ‘What is
Business To date, the GSBA Scholarship Fund has invested a barrier to your growth? What can we do to remove
Fund grant $4.6 million in future leaders and has a 91% it?’,” Sheilley said.
from GSBA. /
Courtesy photo graduation rate. Over the past seven years, the Ocala Metro CEP
In addition to financial support, GSBA offers a announced the creation of more than 8,000 jobs and
Right: Bryan Leadership Academy to GSBA scholars. a billion dollars in capital investment.
Rincon-Ochoa “The Leadership Academy focuses on ongoing
(he/they) is a
second-year leadership training for our current and recent COLLABORATING FOR
GSBA Scholar scholar cohort by connecting them to their personal SUCCESS
currently leadership style and through lectures, training and
attending North Both the Ocala Metro CEP and GSBA have found
Seattle College . engaging with recognized leaders who they can tremendous success through collaboration with
/ Courtesy identify with,” Rosén said.
photo In Ocala, the Metro CEP created the Power Plant local, state and national entities.
Business Incubator Program, repurposing the city’s Washington has no state tourism board which
first electric plant into a hub of entrepreneurship presented an opportunity for GSBA to work together
programs and initiatives. So far the program has with local partners to benefit the LGBTQ business
assisted nearly 900 startups and successfully community as well as the Seattle economy as a whole
graduated about 30 businesses from the incubator through Travel Out Seattle.
with 27 still in business in the Ocala metro area. “With no state tourism board, we saw the need
NEXTWorks, a talent development initiative to support our tourism and hospitality members,”
underwritten by a local corporate partner, built a Rosén said. “Working with them we have brought a
seamless talent pipeline from middle school through focus to the region and its many attractions.”
the post-secondary level by connecting the Ocala GSBA partners with Visit Seattle, Alaska Airlines,

32 SUMMER 2021 BUSINESSEQUALITYMAGAZINE.COM