Events

Pride Speaks April: LGBTQIA+ Barriers to Business – Meet the Panel

Apr 21, 2021 | Seattle Pride

Pride Speaks is a monthly speaking series focused on the various topics that impact our LGBTQIA+ community. Each session, Seattle Pride invites experts to share their knowledge, reframe issues, and inspire action. After the panel discussion or talk, there's time for audience Q&A, attendee discussions, and 1-on-1 community networking.

This month we focus on LGBTQIA+ Barriers to Business: how do queer entrepreneurs access funding, are there mentorship opportunities for entrepreneurs, and what we can we do to break down those barriers?

Date: Wednesday, April 28th
Time: 7PM - 9PM PDT
Cost: FREE
Register HERE

Panelists

Christian Morales (he/him)
Food Business & Incubation Specialist, Ventures Nonprofit
Christian is a Southern California native and holds a Bachelors from UC Santa Barbara. He has a strong background in hospitality and food and beverage having worked at many hotels throughout his career. He traveled the world while working with the Menchie’s franchise to open new locations and assist franchisees with opening their own businesses. He was selected as one of eighteen recipients from around the county for the NALCAB Pete Garcia Fellowship Program of 2018 representing Ventures and the state of Washington.

Jeanette Macias (she/they)
Co-Owner, Seeking Kombucha
Jeanette is the co-founder of Seeking Kombucha, a local Fermented Beverage company that provides gut healthy drinks in WA.

William Maher, MBA, JD (he/him)
VP, Business Banking Relationship Manager, U.S. Bank
William is a commercial banker who serves a diverse group of business owners throughout Puget Sound at U.S. Bank. He has been in the banking/finance industries for two decades, completed his MBA in 1998, and earned his Juris Doctor in 2007. In addition to being a strong advocate for small business owners and their employees, he has years of experience helping others pursue their dreams through the use of Small Business Administration (SBA) programs as well as conventional options. William has owned, operated, and sold several small businesses and is uniquely positioned to advise his clients to make sound strategic decisions.

Moderator
Brianna Durand, DPT (she/her)
Owner & Educator, Empower Physiotherapy
After completing her doctorate in Texas, Brianna moved to Seattle and worked in a variety of settings, including outpatient orthopedics and skilled nursing facilities. In 2019 she founded Empower Physiotherapy where she is the sole physical therapist providing specialized pelvic floor care in addition to her orthopedic manual skillset. Brianna has always been passionate about reducing health inequities in the LGBTQIA+ community. Her clinical interests include trans pregnancy, pre- and post-op gender affirmation surgery, and HRT.