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 house owners to attach and collaborate.
Famm Connect, now out there on iOS and Android units, contains widespread options like a feed for sharing and discovering posts, direct messaging, and a piece for managing and cultivating connections. What units it aside, nevertheless, is its emphasis on making a protected and inclusive area for LGBTQ+ professionals to have interaction authentically.
The launch of a brand new social networking utility particularly designed for LGBTQ+ professionals is each well timed and vital. LGBTQ+ people steadily face discrimination, microaggressions, or biases in skilled environments, and it might be troublesome to seek out help on mainstream networks that don’t deal with their particular challenges. Plus, they could not really feel snug disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identification on platforms like LinkedIn for worry that it may 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 rejoice their identification moderately than hiding it.
“It’s very clear that there’s not a lot illustration relating to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, founders, and enterprise house owners,” Perez instructed TechCrunch. “We’ve to look to one another to help one another relating to constructing our companies, rising them, and determining how one can spend our queer {dollars} with queer companies. We’ve to point out 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 could be added to a person’s profile to point their functions for utilizing the app, corresponding to being open to espresso chats, mentoring alternatives, volunteering, and extra. This ensures that when customers attain out to others, they achieve this with intention moderately than merely spamming them.
With roughly 1.4 million LGBTQ-owned businesses 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 house owners to promote on bigger platforms, as they supply a service or a product that makes use of sure terminology that might get flagged or banned. Enterprise listings are at present free, however the platform will quickly introduce premium enterprise profiles for $20 per thirty days or $200 per yr.
Another options that Famm is constructing embody 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.
