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 out there on iOS and Android gadgets, contains frequent options like a feed for sharing and discovering posts, direct messaging, and a bit for managing and cultivating connections. What units it aside, nevertheless, is its emphasis on making a protected and inclusive house 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 important. LGBTQ+ people incessantly face discrimination, microaggressions, or biases in skilled environments, and it might be tough to seek out help on mainstream networks that don’t tackle their particular challenges. Plus, they might not really feel comfy disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identification on platforms like LinkedIn for concern 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 fun their identification reasonably than hiding it.
“It’s very clear that there’s not much representation when it comes to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners,” Perez advised TechCrunch. “We have to look to each other to support each other when it comes to building our businesses, growing them, and figuring out how to spend our queer dollars with queer businesses. We have to show up for each other, especially 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 accomplish that with intention reasonably 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 and products. Perez factors out that it’s tough for enterprise homeowners 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 monthly or $200 per 12 months.
Another options that Famm is constructing embrace a bit 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.
