Description

Transforming banking through inclusive practice.

Calling all Tri-cities Financial Professionals, we're inviting you to our FREE Inclusive Banking Workshop: Transactions to Trans Allies! 

Applying GSBA’s 30+ years of experience offering LGBTQ+ inclusion training, technical assistance and business resources to grow our relationships with local banks and credit unions, this project will pilot a training series focused on topics such as trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) financial identity awareness, pronoun usage, diversity hiring, and inclusion in the workplace.

GSBA sees this project as a first step to influencing industry-wide change. While our pilot program will target an audience of Banking and lending professionals in King and Snohomish Counties, Ellensburg, and the Tri Cities, a successful first year of the project will lay the groundwork for providing similar programs for branches in more rural areas of Washington State.

By investing in LGBTQ+ inclusion, you're not just transforming your institution for today – you're shaping a more inclusive and equitable future for LGBTQ+ businesses and communities for years to come.

This program was made possible by funding provided by the Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA) thanks to a grant made by the Washington State Department of Commerce. 

Date, Time, Location:

Date: May 7, 2024

Time: 9:30am- 1pm

Location: Ven-YOU | Tri-Cities Event Space

5453 Ridgeline Dr Suite #150, Kennewick, WA 99338

Schedule

9:30 - Arrivals and Networking

GSBA will be providing light bites and coffee as we meet and gather.  

10:15 - Presentations (expected runtime 2 hours)

GSBA staff River Teslar, Business Training Specialist, and Toraya Miller, Director of Training & Consulting will present GSBA's inaugural Transactions To Trans Allies course. 

12:15 - Continued Networking

Participants are invited to continue conversations and networking until 1PM. We also encourage attendees to support any of the local small businesses to continue their connecting. 

Meet Your Presenters

River Teslar (she/her)
Business Training Specialist

River Teslar (she/her) is GSBA’s Business Training Specialist. She received an AA in music from Navarro College and spent four years as a pharmacy technician. She is a spirited advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and looks forward to bringing her warmth and encouraging nature to business education and growth. As a trans woman with a background in advocacy and community work she is excited to put those skills to use for the GSBA. A consummate food enthusiast, she spends her free time finding new restaurants and cooking with her partner, as well as performing at open mics, hopping between her favorite local haunts, and enjoying walking around the beautiful East Capitol Hill neighborhood. River hopes to become a small business owner herself someday and host community events and community organizing.

Toraya Miller (she/her)
Director of Training & Consulting

Toraya Miller is the Director of Training and Consulting at GSBA. She enjoys working with small businesses, particularly LGBTQ+ owned, BIPOC-owned, women-owned, and marginalized communities in grant assistance, financial acumen such as cash flow analysis and loan documentation prep. Diversity, equity and inclusion is at the core of every one of Toraya’s accomplishments. Her previous 25 years in Banking included managing an Audit Department for 7 years of a local community bank in Snohomish County. Additionally, she was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee in November 2015, approved by the Senate and serving her second term as a member of the Board of Trustee for Everett Community College.

About GSBA:

GSBA is Washington State's LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce, and the largest in North America. We represent small business, corporate, and nonprofit members who share the values of promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. GSBA proudly serves as a connector across the state, bringing the community together through business including complimentary business consulting and class, while advocating for civil rights and small business in Olympia, promoting LGBTQ+ tourism through Travel Out, and investing in the next generation of leaders through The GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund.

About WSMA:

The Washington State Microenterprise Association Provides Economic Development for Washington Businesses.

They want Washington’s smallest businesses to have access to the tools and resources they need so they can innovate, succeed, and create economic vitality and a strong sense of place in their communities. We strengthen these businesses by assisting the regional organizations that help them thrive, Microenterprise Development Organizations (or MDOs).