Jason Rae (he/him) is the founder and President/CEO of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, an organization of more than 600 LGBT owned and allied businesses from around the state. Jason founded the organization in 2012 and has seen it grow to record numbers and achievements, including winning the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s Chamber of the Year award in 2015. Jason is responsible for the overall direction and operations of the Chamber, as well as membership outreach and retention. He works to build inclusion and diversity through Wisconsin and make the state a truly welcoming & inclusive place.
With his role with the LGBT Chamber, Jason serves as the National Chair for NGLCC’s Affiliate Chamber Council, which works to support the work of local LGBT affiliate chambers across the country.
In addition, Jason serves as a partner at the public affairs consulting firm Nation Consulting in Milwaukee, WI where he focuses on non-profit management, corporate communications, and political campaigns. He is also the founder and managing director of True Compass Strategies, a certified LGBT Business Enterprise. Prior to these roles, he worked for People For the American Way, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Herb Kohl for US Senate, and more.
In his volunteer time, Jason has been a member of the Democratic National Committee since 2004, when he became the youngest person ever elected to the DNC. In 2017, he was elected as the DNC Secretary, one of the national officers. Jason has also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Fair Wisconsin and for the Milwaukee County Human Rights Commission. He currently serves on the Board of VISIT Milwaukee and the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District.
Jason holds an Honors Bachelors of Arts degree from Marquette University in history and political science as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from Drexel University. He presently lives in Glendale, WI with his husband, Phillip Bailey, and their dog, George Washington.