Business Summit log 2025

PrideLife Business Summit 2025

 

Friday April 25, 2025  Doors Open 8AM ends at 1pm

@Raleigh Brewing Company
Neil St. Location

Register at Eventbrite: $20 Members & $30 Non-Members

“The 2025 Holl & Stone Business Summit, hosted at Raleigh Brewing Company thanks to Visibull Local SEO & the City of Raleigh”

Hosted by Harmony and generous sponsors, PrideLife Business Summit is designed to bring together service insights and resources for LGBT+ businesses. 

Last year was the first time we held this summit and brought together over 50 business leaders and entrepreneurs to focus on how to succeed as a diverse-owned business and in the diverse workforce as an employee  We brought together small businesses, large area corporations, nonprofits and public sector groups to share lessons learned about how to navigate the NC business world effectively. We hosted a keynote speaker – Wendy Gates Corbett, panels from The Diversity Movement/Workplace Options, state and national government speakers (SBA and NC Dept of Administration), and corporate partners (Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, SAS, First Citizens Bank). In each session, attendees were equipped with tools and resources to help their organizations thrive in 2024.

2025 has already started out with challenges of its own with the incoming Presidential administration, local and state officials as well as newly enacted policies aimed at limiting support for the business community – especially the portion tied to diverse-owned and LGBTQ+ owned businesses. That’s why we created a theme “WE ARE HERE” to issue a statement to our local community that there are actual companies, nonprofits and elected officials ready and able to be advocates.

Keynote Speaker: U.S. Representative Valerie Foushee (D-NC) Virtual

V.Foushee (D-NC) US House of Representatives

“We are Here” Sessions

10:15am

Health and Wellness

“Our Healthcare Session, presented by BlueWaterSpa”

PANELISTS:

Alex Zima, licensed mental health practitioner; 

Jessica Dixon, Infectious Diseases nurse manager,

Abbie Swank, DC a Chiropractor

Malachi Owens, Advance Health Care practice manager

BlueWaterSpa

11:00am

Your Wealth and Peace of Mind

“Our Financial Services Session, presented by Nicole Guernsey of Equitable Advisors”

PANELISTS:

Jesse Reznicek, Northwestern Mutual

Nicole Guernsey, the Equitable Insurance Company

Jamie Ferguson, Realtor and member of NC Gay and Lesbian Realtors Association

Julie Russ, First Citizens Bank

Nicole Guernsey

12:10pm

Business Matchmaking,

“Our Business Networking Session, presented by the City of Raleigh Department of Equity and Inclusion”

Facilitated by Katherine Turner, Globel Citizen

2025 Sponsors

Hospitality – Catering Works / Dilworth Coffee and Morning Rolls

Venue – Raleigh Brewing and Visible Local SEO

City of Raleigh logo

The PrideLife Business Summit wouldn’t be possible without the generous financial support of its sponsors! Learn more about each of these great organizations:

Ensemble

Ensemble Round logoEnsemble LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurial Hub

Harmony

Harmony LGBTQ+ Allied Chamber of Commerce

Holl & Stone Farm

Holl & Stone logoHoll & Stone Farm

Raleigh Brewing

Raleigh Brewing 

BlueWaterSpa

BlueWaterSpa

City of Raleigh

Accordion item title


Visibull Local SEO

“The 2025 Holl & Stone Business Summit, hosted at Raleigh Brewing Company thanks to Visibull Local SEO & the City of Raleigh”