[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10104-10105]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MIKAEL AUDEBERT

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 12, 2014

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, 
Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize Mikael 
Audebert. Born in France, Mikael moved to the U.S. at age 18 and has 
lived in Orlando since 2000.
  Mikael has been with Metropolitan Business Association of Orlando 
(MBA Orlando) since 2008. MBA Orlando, Central Florida's LGBT Chamber 
of Commerce, is the largest of its kind in the Southeast and a fast-
growing entity in Central Florida. Mikael started as Technology 
Director for the organization and quickly rose to the position of Vice 
President. In 2012, he became President of MBA Orlando, as well as 
Executive Director of Come Out With Pride and Converge Orlando, two of 
MBA Orlando's sister organizations.
  Since taking over as President, Mikael has initiated and overseen a 
vast expansion of MBA Orlando, including a move to larger offices; the 
launch of a printed directory; the development of a small business 
initiative program; a marketing campaign to increase the visibility of 
LGBT businesses; and the creation of a small business start up grant 
program in partnership with the federal government and the City of 
Orlando.
  In 2008 Mikael joined Come Out With Pride as Marketing Director and 
quickly rose to become Executive Producer of Development before 
becoming the organizations' first Executive Director in 2010.
  Mikael is also a co-founder of Converge Orlando, a non-profit 
organization with the mission to develop and expand LGBT tourism to 
Orlando. Converge Orlando partnered with the Central Florida Sports 
Commission to bid on bringing the 2018 Gay Games to Orlando.

[[Page 10105]]

Converge Orlando is also launching the very first Family Outfest event 
in Orlando, aimed at bringing LGBT and allies families closer together. 
In addition, the organization is hosting several LGBT conventions in 
Orlando and continuing to organize media trips which have generated 
articles in national LGBT and Brazilian magazines. Converge also 
recently launched the first LGBT Travel Guide with Visit Orlando, 
getting Central Florida ready for this emerging market.
  In addition to his lifelong passion for travel, Mikael is also an 
avid event planner and organizes Orlando's annual LGBT Pride event, the 
largest in Florida. Mikael was named one of the ``40 Under 40'' in 2013 
by the Orlando Business Journal. The same year, he was named one of the 
most influential men by the same paper and ``Most Remarkable Person'' 
of the year by the Watermark.
  Mikael was born in France and moved to the U.S. at age 18. He has 
lived in Orlando since 2000.

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