Board of Directors
Stephen Miranda
Senior Vice President, Private Client Advisor – Bank of America Private Bank
Check out our Volunteer of the Year Spotlight with Stephen on the Chamber Blog here.
Dr. Rivera (he/him) was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley and completed his undergraduate education at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. In 2003, he moved to Houston to pursue a Master’s in Physical Therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch and became a licensed physical therapist. Between 2007 and 2013, he attained two doctorate degrees, one in Physical Therapy at Rocky Mountain University in Provo, UT, and the other in Health Studies at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX.
In 2014, Dr. Rivera left the large corporate hospital system and founded Elation Physical Therapy, both a Certified Minority and LGBT Business Enterprise® with four locations in the Greater Houston area serving multiple counties: Harris, Brazoria, and Fort Bend. In 2022, he franchised Elation Physical Therapy and is currently overseeing the expansion of his concept.
Elation Physical Therapy is special in that it values the diversity of the communities it serves and proudly provides rehabilitative services specific to the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ community faces ongoing discrimination and unfortunately, that is known to occur in healthcare settings as well. Dr. Rivera and his team strive to provide a safe, comfortable, and inclusive environment for all so that members of the LGBTQ+ community can feel comfortable and have access to the physical therapy care they need.
Dr. Rivera and his practice were granted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 202 Dream Big LGBTQ- Owned Business Achievement Award and the Greater Houston LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 LGBTBE® Certified Business of the Year Award. Likewise, he was honored as Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2020, and Elation Physical Therapy consistently makes their Top 10 Book of Lists for the Largest Houston-area LGBTQ-owned Businesses.
Dr. Rivera is also a champion for LGBTQ+ youth and continues to demonstrate his dedication to this cause year after year.
He served on the Board of Directors for the Houston Tennis Club (HTC), a 501(c) (3) that increases visibility and creates an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ athletes in tennis, for many years up until 2021. He was responsible for HTC’s annual charity tennis tournament and helped raise thousands of dollars on behalf of the organization for HATCH, Houston’s oldest, currently active social group dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 7 and 20.
In his last year as a Board Member of HTC, Dr. Rivera shifted the long-time beneficiary from HATCH to Out for Education (OFE), a 501(c)(3) and one of the most successful LGBTQ+ scholarship-granting foundations in the United States dedicated to the purpose of providing scholarships to Houston-area LGBTQ+ youth. As a result, he was asked to join the Board of Directors at OFE where he currently serves as the Treasurer.
Thomas (he|him) has a passion to connect people with the resources they need to pursue their goals. As a Board Member with the Chamber, he aims to foster connections between members and promote economic opportunities for LGBTQ+ business owners and leaders, as well as the broader LGBTQ+ community.
Thomas has over 15 years of working in Human Resources across various industries with expertise in talent strategies and in helping business leaders translate their version into action. He is the founder of two businesses, EconomiWorks, a platform for businesses to find help with their projects, and ListenWerks, a production company focused on supporting storytellers and artists. Thomas is also the Talent Acquisition Manager at an energy company and an adjunct management faculty member at a local university.
Thomas believes in the old saying "work hard, play hard," so when he's looking for inspiration on how to satisfy all the many stakeholders of his many ventures, he enjoys time with his husband and two daughters, friends, and dogs, as well as "relaxing" while running, swimming, and podcasting about LGBTQ+ history. He is the host of the podcast, "Let's Talk About Gay Stuff," which discusses historical events and people in LGBTQ+ history & culture.
Check out our Board Member Spotlight with Thomas on the Chamber Blog.
https://business.houstonlgbtchamber.com/blog/Details/board-member-spotlight-thomas-lopez-37554
Tammi (she|her) is a Co-Founder and the President & CEO of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. Her passion for economic inclusion focused on the LGBTQ+ Business Community has been a driving force in the Chamber's growth since the launch of the organization in 2016.
In recognition of the progress made in advancing the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce’s strategic goals and the need to dedicate resources to achieve the longer-term vision for the organization, the Board of Directors named Tammi to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer to lead, manage, and execute day-to-day operations. This appointment recognized Tammi’s many years of volunteer work with the Chamber behind the scenes at the local, state, and national levels, where she has been dedicated to bringing visibility to the LGBTQ+ Business Community.
Previously, Tammi was the Chief Growth Officer at KIPP Houston Public Schools. Prior to her role at KIPP, Tammi served as Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager to former Texas State Representative Ellen Cohen. She has also served as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Houston Equal Rights Alliance (HERA), a nonprofit focused on voter education, coalition building and advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, Tammi has over twelve years of experience in the financial services industry where she worked as Vice President for Bank of America/NationsBank, Project Manager at CheckFree Corporation, and Assistant Vice President at Mellon Mortgage.
Tammi utilizes her cross-sector experience to make a difference through her community involvement with various organizations. Currently, Tammi serves on the board of the Hollyfield Foundation and Montrose Management District as well as on the National LGBT Chamber (NGLCC) Affiliate Chamber Leadership Council representing the Southern region. In 2016, she was appointed by Mayor Sylvester Turner to serve on the City of Houston’s first LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and in 2021 to serve on the inaugural Houston Women’s Commission.
In 2022, she was appointed by Harris County Commissioner’s Court to serve on the inaugural Harris County Women’s Commission. Tammi is a past member of the Victory Fund Campaign Board and she co-chaired the 2015 and 2016 Victory Fund Houston Champagne Brunch resulting in record-breaking fundraising to help elect LGBTQ+ candidates across the country.
Tammi has been a leader in the LGBTQ+ community for over two decades. She has been recognized by the Houston Business Journal as a Diversity in Business Awards Honoree. In 2019, she was recognized by BEQ magazine as a Legacy Leader in the LGBTQ+ community. Tammi has been recognized as OutSmart Magazine’s Gayest & Greatest Award for Female Business Person, Most Prominent Female Activist and Favorite Female Community Hero and she was named Female Grand Marshal of the Houston Pride Parade in 2011 in recognition of her leadership and activism on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.