Two Chambers, One Day: TGS Tech at the
GWHCC Ambassador's Luncheon and B2B DC Networking Event
TGS Tech Founder and CEO Sarrene' Miller attended two back-to-back events hosted by the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC), spending the full day embedded in one of the most active and genuinely connected business communities in the Washington region.
The GWHCC Annual Ambassador's Luncheon
The day began at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for the GWHCC Annual Ambassador's Luncheon, one of the chamber's signature yearly gatherings bringing together diplomats, business owners, community leaders, and regional partners.
The Honorable José Miguel Alemán Healy served as Honorary Chair, and Dr. Bart S. Fisher delivered the keynote address. María Renée Barillas, presenter and reporter for Telemundo 44, served as Emcee, bringing her signature warmth and deep connection to the Hispanic community in the DC region to the event.The room carried the energy of a community that takes its relationships seriously. Business owners, diplomats, and civic leaders navigating a complex moment together, choosing to do it in the same room.
The luncheon was made possible through the generous support of its sponsors. GWHCC Trustees Events DC, Pepco, and Giant. President's Club sponsor CareFirst. Ambassador Sponsors Verizon and TSG Advocates. Table Sponsors Mundaca Law, The CalPro Group, and Capital Construction Enterprises. Supporting Sponsors United Bank and Destination DC.
TGS Tech's presence at the luncheon came through an introduction from David Diaz, Chief of Staff at GWHCC, whose work organizing and hosting events like this one helps create the conditions where real connections happen. That kind of intentional community building is exactly what makes the GWHCC ecosystem worth being part of.
From Luncheon to Mixer
That evening, the day continued at The Ven on Embassy Row, where GWHCC and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) jointly hosted the B2B DC Networking Event beginning at 5:30 PM. David Diaz and Cindy Shao, President of the AACC, both extended the invitation to continue the day into the evening, and the transition from the formality of the luncheon to the open, relaxed atmosphere of The Ven felt like a natural exhale.
The room was a genuine cross-industry mix. Accountants, attorneys, marketers, life science professionals, and technology founders all in the same space, not sorted by sector or affiliation, just people there to build something. The GWHCC and AACC collaboration was real enough that the boundaries between the two communities largely dissolved. More than a few attendees assumed Sarrene' was a GWHCC member rather than AACC, which is probably the best sign that the evening had achieved exactly what it set out to do.
The mixer was co-sponsored by Events DC, Pepco, DC Health Link, and The Ven, with Verizon also represented through their Small Business Digital Ready program.
Why These Spaces Matter
For TGS Tech, being present in rooms like these is not about finding the perfect technical audience. It is about being part of the broader business community that surrounds and supports technology development. The conversations that happen at a chamber luncheon or an evening mixer often lead somewhere unexpected, and March 17th was no exception.
The cross-industry mix at the B2B mixer reflected something encouraging about the DC business community right now. Service professionals, technologists, and civic leaders all choosing to be in the same room, genuinely interested in connection rather than just exchanging cards. That kind of openness creates room for introductions and conversations that move things forward.
A special thank you to David Diaz of GWHCC and Cindy Shao of AACC for the warm welcome, the invitations, and for building spaces where the DC business community can show up fully.
What Comes Next
The momentum from March 17th carries forward. TGS Tech will be featured at the AACC Fairfax Spotlight Circle on April 10th, the next step in a growing relationship with a chamber community that has been genuinely welcoming from the start.
If the DC business community keeps showing up like it did on March 17th, there is a lot worth being optimistic about.
