Happy Anniversary Global Chamber; and the Next 25 Years

Happy Anniversary to Global Chamber® ... coming up to 8 years. We had it all mapped out on a spreadsheet that would have us built out in 525 chapters after 5 years... but alas, it will take a couple more... so 10 isn't bad, right? What an amazing journey with the global tribe as we all grow globally. Our members being global and UNSTOPPABLE is a continuous inspiration for everyone on our global team. Thank you!

Shown above... then Mayor (now US Representative, 9th District) Greg Stanton was our keynote speaker in the main lobby of Phoenix City Hall as we launched to the arrangement of Hank Marshall. Some additional extraordinary leaders and supporters were there including Michael Patterson, Melissa Sanderson, Mexico Consul General Roberto Rodriguez, now Mexico's Ambassador's to Lebanon and more. The famous César Trabanco came later.

We also have thanks for Senator Kyrsten Sinema for her support over the years, including helping us host Japanese Ambassador Fujisaki at Taliesin West. As U.S. Representative, Senator Sinema was an advocate for the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and fought tirelessly. We appreciate working with her to win protection of the bank for exporters.

Thunderbird School of Global Management has also been a key inspiration and partner of Global Chamber® all along the way. It started 10 years ago with a few visits to the old Glendale Campus, and one in particular I was in a meeting at the cafeteria, and watching and listening to all these global students passionately talking about global business and I thought DAMN, WOW... that's amazing! We need more of this, everywhere!

So as the idea formed in my head for Global Chamber, I found myself driving the 6 hours across the desert between Carlsbad, California and Scottsdale, Arizona, and what Thunderbird had created was front and center in my thinking. The next thing you know, BAM... 💡. We officially rolled out with Mayor Stanton, but weeks earlier, we did a stealth launch on the old campus of Thunderbird!

A key inflection point was the arrival of Dr. Sanjeev Khagram. In his first week as CEO-Dean he came to a Global Chamber Phoenix event, and we took the picture below of all the Tbird-ers in the room. Quickly we all respected and loved this brilliant global leader, a refugee from Uganda with Indian parents, who reimagined, revitalized, rejuvenated and reestablished Thunderbird as #1 🌎.

Thank you Dear Dean Khagram for your vision, collaboration, impact, inspiration, leadership and friendship. We count on you as we all enter the next phase of globalization and trade... and all of us being more global and UNSTOPPABLE!

In that next phase... I hope to be helping the fully build out of all 525 chapters through these next 2-3 years, and then after that, to contribute around the world to help more people become involved to experience and benefit from global trade.

I'm most excited about Africa... where over the next 20-30 there can be a revolution as I've personally seen in parts of Asia, like my first visit to S. Korea 35 years ago... one year before the 1988 Seoul Olympics. So much progress! Africa next!!

Global is good! And the more people who develop the skills needed to sustain global business... communicating, listening, negotiating, honesty, integrity, diversity, tolerance, flexibility, resilience... the more we prosper and benefit, business and society.

Doug Bruhnke - founder/CEO at Global Chamber®

ps... trivia question. What were our 5 first chapters? Don't look... answers below.

Global Chamber® is a growing and collaborating community of CEOs, executives and leaders in 525 metro regions around the world... connecting member businesses to new opportunities and advancing growth and success. It's the only chamber of commerce in the world operating in hundreds of locations that helps exporting, importing and investing members to connect through warm introductions to clients, partners, projects and resources.

Global Chamber® is a registered trademark of Global Chamber LLC since 2014.

Trivia Question: First 5 chapters of Global Chamber®, of 525?????

• Phoenix, USA
• Tucson, USA
• Salt Lake City, USA
• Kathmandu, Nepal
• Hermosillo, Mexico