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 Join, now accessible on iOS and Android units, consists of 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 secure and inclusive house for LGBTQ+ professionals to interact authentically.
The launch of a brand new social networking utility particularly designed for LGBTQ+ professionals is each well timed and important. LGBTQ+ people continuously 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 comfy disclosing their sexual orientation or gender id on platforms like LinkedIn for concern 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 id 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 instructed 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 characteristic that stands out is its “Open to” tags. These tags may be added to a consumer’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 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 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 12 months.
Another options that Famm is constructing embody 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.
