Famm, the invention platform for queer-owned manufacturers, was created by BIPOC queer married couple Cat Perez and Marianna Di Regolo to assist customers discover LGBTQ-owned companies. Now it’s launching a brand new social networking app for LGBTQ+ professionals and enterprise homeowners to attach and collaborate.
Famm Join, now obtainable on iOS and Android units, contains frequent options like a feed for sharing and discovering posts, direct messaging, and a piece for managing and cultivating connections. What units it aside, nonetheless, is its emphasis on making a protected and inclusive area for LGBTQ+ professionals to interact authentically.
The launch of a brand new social networking software particularly designed for LGBTQ+ professionals is each well timed and vital. LGBTQ+ people ceaselessly face discrimination, microaggressions, or biases in skilled environments, and it could be troublesome to search out help on mainstream networks that don’t deal with their particular challenges. Plus, they might not really feel snug disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identification on platforms like LinkedIn for worry that it might hurt their profession prospects.
Famm Join goals to supply a greater different to mainstream platforms, providing an area for customers to simply discover others who perceive their experiences and challenges whereas additionally permitting them to have a good time their identification slightly than hiding it.
“It’s very clear that there’s not a lot illustration in terms of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, founders, and enterprise homeowners,” Perez advised TechCrunch. “We’ve to look to one another to help one another in terms of constructing our companies, rising them, and determining methods to spend our queer {dollars} with queer companies. We’ve to indicate up for one another, particularly now.”
Whereas the core performance of the app is pretty easy, one function that stands out is its “Open to” tags. These tags might be added to a consumer’s profile to point their functions for utilizing the app, reminiscent of being open to espresso chats, mentoring alternatives, volunteering, and extra. This ensures that when customers attain out to others, they accomplish that with intention slightly than merely spamming them.
With roughly 1.4 million LGBTQ-owned companies working within the U.S., Famm additionally plans to incorporate listings for companies to promote their services. Perez factors out that it’s troublesome for enterprise homeowners to promote on bigger platforms, as they supply a service or a product that makes use of sure terminology that would get flagged or banned. Enterprise listings are presently free, however the platform will quickly introduce premium enterprise profiles for $20 per 30 days or $200 per yr.
Another options that Famm is constructing embrace a piece devoted to in-person networking occasions in addition to job listings and sponsored posts.
The app is free to obtain. It operates on an invite-only foundation and permits for limitless referrals.
