PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local business organizations will host an LGBTQ+ Business & Professional Networking Event on Wednesday, March 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Wander Berkshires. 

 

The event recognizes the launch of nine LGBTQ-owned businesses in the region within the past two years.

 

The businesses being honored include Steeple City Social, Hexagon Bagels, Wander Berkshires, J.S. Bryant School, Indie Readery & Records, Brazzucas Market, Galleries at Knollwood Antiques, Barrington Hall, Dollhaus Berkshires, and the J.S. Bryant School.

 

In addition to regional growth, the event highlights a specific business cluster in downtown Pittsfield. This walkable district includes six LGBTQ-owned entities: District Kitchen & Bar, Brazzucas, Wander Berkshires, Berkshire Pride, and Indie Readery & Records.

 

"The Berkshires are becoming a magnet for new business and innovation because diversity is a long-held value in the region and is good for business," said Alexandra Eberhardt, Executive Director of the Mass LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Eberhardt noted that leaders are relocating to the area from other parts of the country due to the region's welcoming environment.

 

Bart Church, Executive Director of Q-MoB, stated that Western Massachusetts maintains a higher per capita concentration of LGBTQ residents and businesses than Boston. 

 

"For at least a hundred years, the Berkshires and Western Mass have been a magnet for creative and LGBTQ people," Church said.

 

The event is expected to draw representatives from various local chambers of commerce and regional business owners. Scheduled speakers include Eberhardt, Church, and Berkshire Magazine Editor in Chief Anastasia Stanmeyer.

 

The gathering is jointly sponsored by the Mass LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Q-MoB, and Berkshire Magazine, with funding provided by the Berkshire United Way Venture Fund and the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Registration is open to LGBTQ business and community leaders and allies.