Positivity and excitement—it’s contagious

Austin Chamber ambassadors work to engage new members by extending the hand of friendship, participating in goodwill calls, and representing the Austin Chamber at social and civic functions throughout the region. Last year, our devoted volunteers welcomed over 52 new local businesses through ribbon cuttings, greeted over 100 individuals at the annual membership drive, and volunteered more than 1,200 hours at small business events.

The ambassador program is a prime example of how the Chamber, businesses and local community work together. What better way to share these stories than by highlighting an ambassador?

Every month, we will share an ambassador’s story via the Austin Chamber blog and social media platforms. This month, we caught up with ambassador chair, Courtney Bianchi, and asked why she is a passionate member of the group.

If you are interested in becoming part of the Ambassador program, click here.

Name: Courtney Bianchi

Years as an Ambassador: 2 years

Company: Batch Austin, Director

Why are you an Austin Chamber ambassador?
I am an ambassador for two reasons. I love the community and the ambassador program offers a chance to support it. And it opens up my network to other businesses that I wouldn’t necessarily meet in other networking groups.

Do you have a memorable experience while serving as an ambassador?
Last year, I was the social chair and I put together an event at Main Event. It was memorable because everyone who attended, new folks and old ambassadors, were playing and bowling. In that moment, the camaraderie taking place was awesome as everyone was having such a great time. It made me realize how much I appreciate the ambassadors and how passionate I am about creating that environment, attending to the members, and ensuring that they have a great experience.

What’s the best part of being an ambassador?
The best part about being an ambassador is being able to attend the ribbon cuttings. The meetings are wonderful because I get to network and build relationships. But the ribbon cuttings are opportunities to meet those business owners organically. It makes that initial introduction smoother and more approachable in that environment.

How would you convince someone to become an ambassador?
I would invite them to attend a meeting first and then the social hour. Although, I don't think it takes a lot of convincing—just more of asking are you looking for networking opportunities? Do you want to learn more about the Chamber? And how you can be more active as a member? That’s usually what I do. It’s about positivity and excitement—it’s contagious.

What is one thing that others wouldn’t necessarily know?
I lived in Denmark with my parents, sister, and brother when I was 7. I was there for 2 ½ years and I studied abroad in Greece. I love to travel; it gave me the "bug" to see the world outside of the United States.

When people come to you for help, what do they need assistance with?
A lot of people come to me for advice on marketing strategies, how to brand your business well, and how to get more exposure. I feel like that is a trend.

If you were frozen for over a century, what would be your first thought upon reawakening?
I am hungry and need peanut butter toast—that is literally what I just thought of (laughter). I eat that every morning for breakfast.

What are the simple things that make your day better?
A good walk in the morning, my quiet time, I LOVE butter coffee (side note: Picnik is this business on Burnet Road that has butter coffee that is AMAZING), and a good conversation with my husband. That makes my heart happy.

What could you give a presentation on or talk about for hours without any preparation? Austin and the best places to check out; if you have visitors coming to town, need places to take your family, happy hours, or what makes this city awesome, I could talk about that for an hour.

What’ one thing you want to try but haven’t gotten around to it?
I want to hike all the national parks like Glacier and Yellow Stone. I have already done a couple but making time to travel to all those other places is hard.

The Ambassador Committee meets monthly. If you are interested in participating, contact Melanee Ferrier.