How LGBTQ+-owned businesses are connecting with community this Pride

Americano says:

Americano makes brands human as a creative office at the intersection of artificial intelligence and aesthetics. Charlie Poulson founded Americano in 2014 after a natural timeline of entrepreneurial tendencies: starting from the first contract he wrote when he was seven to raising $6000 for top surgery in college by selling bracelets he made from the shirts he outgrew on testosterone as a result of transitioning. Charlie developed Americano's unique approach to brand development after realizing that brands need empathy to connect with their customers, especially in current times. Americano's unique approach involves AI to develop deep brand personalities and aesthetic expertise to create highly human and relatable brands.

How we're connecting with our community:

'Usually, we're having the conversations around rainbow capitalism—where corporations see Pride as a low-brow way to make money off of the LGBTQIA+ community by slapping a rainbow on a product or logo, then disappear the other 11 months out of the year. However, Pride this year at Americano has been centered around action. We defined and implemented actions to uplift and amplify BIPOC voices, talents, and opportunities. If being a queer person with trans experiences is the gift of natural empathy in and of itself, then being a business owner is the compounding power to amplify and influence. Americano is the first transgender-owned and led brand design studio of its caliber, so Pride is always an annual reminder to keep going by using our platform we've built to educate brands on how to high-brow participate in Pride and uplift marginalized queer and trans opportunities.'

The Fingerjoint says:

Architect Lauren Amador, AIA, NOMA (pronouns they/she) founded their studio in 2019 with the mission to design and open the only lesbian bar in the City of Los Angeles, the Fingerjoint. The Fingerjoint is a future lesbian bar evolved: an inclusive, permanent space for queer people to have a cocktail and a conversation. The Fingerjoint believes our queer future should be owned by us and not just programmed for us. We are redefining who belongs in a lesbian space, prioritizing also our enby and trans best friends, our bisexual partners, femmes who could use a thoughtfully designed space not centered on cis males. Follow us on instagram @thefingerjoint for the latest.

Yardy says:

Chef and artist DeVonn Francis is making waves in the culinary scene. He is the mastermind behind Yardy World, which is a one of a kind hospitality company. DeVonn is very active in the LGBTQ community and prides himself on being a first generation Jamaican American. His background is in design and performance studies. Since founding Yardy World in 2017, Devonn continues to use both his culinary practice to explore the role of food and art in Caribbean culture. Yardy World has gone on to produce experiential dinner parties, create brand campaigns, and develop activations in order to redefine and reaffirm the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the New York landscape.

Jarry says:

Jarry is a print magazine and online community that explores where food and queer culture intersect, bringing together a community of queer chefs, eaters, makers, writers, photographers, artists, and industry influencers to celebrate its accomplishments and deepen its conversations. Our Issue 1 feature essay "Straight-Up Passing" by John Birdsall was awarded a James Beard Award, and we've been featured on NPR, Live from Prince Street, the Boston Globe, Time Out New York, and elsewhere, and we were named a "Hottest Launch" by min, the industry authority for magazine and media news and networking. Our first issue was released in September 2015.

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