inclusion tennessee Forms to Create LGBTQ+ Center in Nashville, Access to Resources

Organization to address findings from 2019 LGBTQ+ Community Visioning Project 

inclusion tennessee launched in June 2022 after nearly two years of planning and research with a mission of connecting people, opportunities, and resources to enrich and enhance the lives of the multi-faceted LGBTQ+ community. The organization was formed in the year following the release of the 2019 Nashville Pride LGBTQ+ community visioning project. The research from the visioning project has informed much of the work that inclusion tennessee is set to embark on in the year ahead including: 

1. Embracing our LGBTQIA+ mission-focused, mission adjacent, and community partners in collaborative spaces focused on creating models of collective impact. 
2. Co-locating wraparound services, resources, and programming for LGBTQIA+ 18 to 24-year-olds with affirming agencies in the mid-state. this includes affordable housing, health care, respite care, mutual aid resources, and career training.
3. Co-locating services, resources, and programming for LGBTQIA+ older adults in the mid-state. this includes safe social opportunities, healthcare, affordable housing, respite care, mutual aid, support groups, and end-of-life planning.
4. Partnering with healthcare organizations and providers to establish a digital-first healthcare navigation solution that delivers lgbtqia+ community members with information about affirming healthcare providers, specialists, health services, and safe places in Tennessee.
5. Building a Nashville LGBTQIA+ community center for all ages with satellite services throughout the region. the center will be community-designed and may include co-working space, a theater, meeting rooms, a cafe, a library, maker spaces, retail spaces, and physicians’ offices and more.

The board is led by inclusion tennessee founder, Phil Cobucci, along with Dr. Quinton Walker and Meredith Fortney. The additional thirteen board members are highly sought-after professionals and leaders in a variety of industries including healthcare, education, nonprofit, branding, marketing and government. 

inclusion tennessee is being incubated by the Center for Contemplative Justice, an organization founded by the Rev. Becca Stevens which fosters unique justice startups. Acting as an umbrella organization for those holding a vision and allowing an organization to birth the idea, nurturing and growing it into its own independent nonprofit organization. When approached with the idea and mission of inclusion tennessee, Becca Stevens said, “inclusion tennessee offers a mission of love and the minute Phil Cobucci shared it with me, I knew I wanted to do something to support his beautiful vision. I am honored the Center for Contemplative Justice could play a role in helping them get off the ground. My hope is that they will be a blueprint for new opportunities and structures within and for the LGBTQIA+ community in Tennessee.” 

Initial organizational funding has been secured through the HCA Foundation, The Center for Contemplative Justice, Nashville Pride, and private donors. For more information about inclusion tennessee visit inclusiontn.org

inclusion tennessee founding board members

Phil Cobucci 
founder + board president 
marketing and branding consultant 

Dr. Quinton Walker
board secretary 
high school headmaster at university school of nashville

Meredith Fortney
board treasurer
senior manager employee branding at hellofresh

Hal Cato
ceo of thistle farms 
(former ceo of oasis center; founder of hands on nashville)

Del Ray Zimmerman
director of lgbtqi health at vanderbilt university medical center

Joseph Woodson
founder + principal, woodson results, inc. 
(former lgbtq liaison to mayors barry and briley)

Dr. Christopher Ott
chief medical officer, physicians services group at hca healthcare 
(past president of the board at nashville cares)

Matthew Gann
associate vice chancellor for marketing, digital strategy, & public relations at tennessee board of regents

Pamela Kelner
executive director at jewish family service

Marcia Masulla
ceo at roar nashville; 
founder of nashville fashion week; nashville fashion forward fund; and tiny but mighty

Dawn Cornelius
ceo at human; principal consultant at the cornelius group

Jordan Constantine
senior policy analyst at the center for innovation in public health, university of Kentucky
co-founder at affinità consulting

Olivia Blake
salesforce implementation specialist, idlewild

Amiee M. Sadler 
research and education manager, people3, inc.  

Jon Paul Yarbrough
board member, yarbrough family foundation