By Lindsey Rose
When Sacramento-based Cat Perez (she/they) and Marianna Di Regolo (she/her) met through friends at a popular queer bar in San Francisco 15 years ago, they never imagined where they’d be today: happily married parents of a 3-year-old son and proud owners of an LGBTQ+ business platform that they bootstrapped.
“What really pushed us to build it was all the anti LGBTQ+ policy being proposed and passed,” said Cat. “We were like ‘Hell no, we have to do something about this in our own way and drive impact for our community.’”
In 2023, the entrepreneurial duo launched Famm, a marketplace dedicated to making it easy to find products and services from LGBTQ-owned businesses. From health and wellness experts to HR professionals to psychics, Famm helps people discover inclusive services, apparel, accessories, home goods, food brands, curated products and more.
The Famm platform was created to foster a sense of safety and inclusivity for the queer community and celebrate business owners. Marianna conceived the idea in 2022, but neither she nor Cat had capacity to pursue it. The following year, Cat closed a chapter in their career at a tech start-up helping to build the largest marketplace for subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, and Marianna’s consulting schedule was flexible, so the timing was right.
Famm was built on two pillars. The first was a personal pain point of Cat’s: navigating gender as they age. It continues to evolve for them, from what they wear to how they present themselves. “For a while, I was only shopping a couple e-commerce clothing brands, and I didn’t know about others,” said Cat. “We knew we needed to make it easier for others.”
The second pillar arose from the challenges of getting a seat at the table as marginalized individuals. “Even when you have a seat, it’s hard to have influence or power,” said Marianna, who worked at companies for years without expressing her identity because she didn’t feel comfortable coming out.
Cat and Marianna bring lived perspectives to their business strategy, as well as a shared desire to create community. Cat, who is Korean and Puerto Rican, noted that access to resources was limited and they had a difficult time coming out to family members initially, though their family is supportive of them today. Marianna is Iraqi and Irish, and many queer-friendly businesses she’d encountered were owned primarily by white gay men, so she saw an opportunity to create more inclusivity.
“Not a ton of businesses have LGBTQ+ owners. We want to be intentional about identity, showcasing entrepreneurs of color and sharing founder stories, so people can support Black-owned, immigrant-owned, queer-owned and disabled entrepreneurs,” said Cat.
To create connection within the LGBTQ+ community, Famm launched quarterly meetups for service providers. “Folks are buying from each other, so we’re supporting each other’s businesses in that way, and there are friendships unfolding, connecting people on everything from partnerships to funding,” said Cat. “It’s been really beautiful to see community being created in those spaces.”
Success of the group meetups inspired the development of Famm Connect, a mobile app designed to simplify connections for LGBTQ+ professionals. The app is a welcoming hub for users who seek partnerships, meetups, funding and work without the formality of LinkedIn.
The couple is open about early challenges of starting a business with a spouse, noting their strong personalities led to differing perspectives on the direction of the business. They eventually found their rhythm, aided by the financial security of their savings, which allowed them to focus on their vision.
As Cat and Marianna continue to focus on their mission, they appreciate the positivity and feedback that comes from their community.
To learn more about Cat and Marianna’s business, visit heyfamm.com, and follow @hey_famm on Instagram.
Photo: Cat Perez
Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lindsey Rose is a mom, writer and longtime public relations professional. After recovering from colon cancer in 2012, she launched a communications consultancy that supports purpose-driven brands. She is a passionate autism awareness advocate, dog lover, yogi and cookie baking aficionado. Follow her on Instagram: @lindseyrosepr.
Publish Her is a female-founded independent publisher dedicated to educating authors and elevating the words, writing and stories of women. We are passionate about amplifying the voices of women of color, women with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We aim to make publishing an attainable, exciting and collaborative process for all.
