[Washington, D.C] February 4, 2026. — U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) announces today that its ByBlack Certification® has officially joined the Certified Shared Database (CSD), a centralized repository of diverse business enterprises certified by leading national organizations including Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA), National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Disability:IN, and now USBC ByBlack. The inclusion of ByBlack Certification further strengthens the nation’s supplier diversity ecosystem by expanding visibility and access to Black-owned businesses within corporate procurement networks.
The Certified Shared Database is a custom aggregation of diverse supplier data from multiple certifying organizations, allowing corporate members of two or more participating organizations to search for certified diverse businesses across multiple directories through one shared platform. The database is searchable across multiple fields, enables users to export results and save searches, and is refreshed monthly to ensure accurate and current supplier and corporate member data.
“Joining the Certified Shared Database is a major milestone for Black-owned businesses and the broader supplier diversity ecosystem,” said Ron Busby, Sr., President & CEO of U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. “This collaboration strengthens access to opportunity by ensuring Black-owned businesses are visible where procurement decisions are being made, while reinforcing our commitment to creating pathways that connect our members to meaningful corporate and government contracting opportunities.”
“Participation in the CSD helps surface the full spectrum of diverse businesses and demonstrates why diversity matters—not just as a value, but as an economic imperative,” said Alicea Gay, Vice President of External Affairs at USBC. “It also creates greater ease for corporations to identify, engage, and support small businesses of all backgrounds, reducing barriers to access and making supplier discovery more efficient at scale.”
Access to the Certified Shared Database is available to corporate members in good standing who belong to at least two participating organizations, currently including NGLCC, WBENC, NaVOBA, Disability:IN, and NMSDC. Corporate member contact information is provided by the organizations they belong to, with access and activity monitored monthly. User access will be deactivated after twelve months of inactivity.
The ByBlack Platform, powered by U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., is a national certification and directory designed to identify and elevate Black-owned businesses nationwide. For-profit businesses that are at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by a Black/African American person or person of African descent, have been in operation for a minimum of one year, and are headquartered in the United States are eligible to apply for ByBlack Certification at no-cost at www.byblack.us.
USBC is a proud member of the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC), which spearheaded the development of the Certified Shared Database as a collaborative effort to make supplier diversity data more accessible, useful, and impactful for both corporations and diverse suppliers. Corporations interested in accessing the Certified Shared Database or strengthening their supplier diversity efforts are encouraged to contact U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. to learn more about membership opportunities and how to engage with certified diverse businesses nationwide.
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About USBC:
The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) provides committed, visionary leadership and advocacy in the realization of economic empowerment. Through the creation of resources and initiatives, we support a network of African American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises. Learn more at usblackchambers.org.
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