Small businesses are a fundamental part of San Francisco’s heart and soul, and have been one of the hardest-hit groups during the pandemic. The Center’s small business services have supported LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs for years, and is continuing to offer support services virtually through this incredibly economically challenging time.
The Center’s small business program has helped over 600 small businesses by assisting with business plan development, raising capital, marketing, and other business development efforts—in short, turning dreams into reality.
Nick R. Yeast II, is one such small business client. Nick believes that beauty unfolds when we embrace our own truths; he launched his gender-neutral fragrance line The Nick Ricardo Collection in 2018 to break down gender barriers in the beauty and cosmetics industry and elevate the narratives of POC, transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming people. The collection is named in honor of his own experiences coming out to his father in rural Kentucky at age 16.
Nick was featured in one of the Center’s Queer Street Marketplace events where he was able to showcase his products. Through the Center, he also received assistance in business planning, marketing, fundraising, and business development. By creating just a little bit of a runway for Nick, the Center was able to help him get his business off the ground and join the ranks of the many other successful LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs that got the boot they needed at the Center.
The Nick Ricardo Collection: https://www.nickricardocollection.com/
SF LGBT Center Small Business Services: https://www.sfcenter.org/program/small-business/
Published on September 24, 2020
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