In this ever-changing economy, more and more people are looking to entrepreneurship. However, it is a risky business. According to Luisa Zhou, one in every five businesses fails within 18 months of operation. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community face even more challenges than the average person when opening a new business. The Movement Advancement Project reports that nearly 46% of LGBTQIA-owned businesses state they were rejected for all financing and business loans they applied for. The project also noted that LGBTQIA-owned businesses are more likely to face financial challenges, citing the health and safety of their employees as the main reason for temporary closures and reduced hours.
Fortunately, there are queer folx who have been persevering through the adversity, setting the stage for others in the community. There has never been a lack of creativity or ingenuity in the LGBTQIA+ community, so it’s no surprise these Black and queer-owned businesses have been able to make their mark. Here are five Black LGBTQIA+ women entrepreneurs you should know!
1. Angelica Ross (she/her)
You may recognize her from her starring roles in FX’s “Pose” and “American Horror Story,” but Angelica Ross is not just an actress! This beauty is also the CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises. The company aims to assist the trans community in becoming more economically sound. TransTech offers resources like education and jobs for trans people who are struggling to find work due to discrimination. They focus on the talent living inside trans folx and help them to use it for income.
2. Chef Joya (she/her)
North Carolina-based chef Joya is known for making delicious food that makes you want to shout! Chef Joya is a lesbian woman who specializes in plant-based cuisine. Many cultural flavors, including Afro-Carribbean, French, African, and American Soul Food, inspire her food. She offers services as a personal chef and caterer and has multiple cookbooks for those in need of a little dinner inspiration. Chef Joya has been featured on the Food Network and Tasty. She has also appeared in publications like Essence and Complex.
3. Kiyanna Stewart (she/her) & 4. Jannah Handy (she/her)
This couple, Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Handy, bring new meaning to valuable antiques with their New York based interior design business. They specialize in vintage items valuable to Black communities. BLK MKT Vintage curates Black staples like JET Magazine and HBCU paraphernalia. The shop also has larger pieces related to Black art.
5. Vanessa B. Miller (she/they)
Vanessa B. Miller is a self-taught jewelry maker who learned to capitalize on her talents! She specializes in lapidary, gemology, and metalsmithing, producing high-quality jewelry and crystals. According to Them, Miller is also a licensed clinician who focuses her knowledge on the queer community. She honors queer liberation in her jewelry by creating healing crystals and metal-stamped pieces. Her work has been featured in Essence Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Buzzfeed.
These are just a few of the Black queer women entrepreneurs you should know. To support further, continue to support LGBTQIA-owned businesses local to you.
