As June unfolds and we celebrate Pride Month, we're shining a spotlight on the incredible LGBTQ+-owned businesses that are part of the Xcelerate community. These business owners are a kaleidoscope of creativity, cultivating safe and inviting spaces where ALL are welcomed to express their authentic selves. Support and shop with PRIDE this month and every month!
Andréa Montoya LLC is a creative strategy consulting firm based out of Portland, Oregon with a passion for crafting the stories and moments that help you stand apart from the crowd. They partner with mission-led organizations to tell stories of impact, build community, and reach new audiences. As a Women- BIPOC- Queer-owned business, Andrea leverages a network of local BIPOC creatives to bring your story to life. Andréa always leads her work with integrity & equity and keeps community at the forefront of everything that they do.
Founded by Julia Baker after struggling with gastrointestinal issues, Brothy redefines health food with a positive approach. They offer delightfully sippable broths, simmered for over 20 hours with top-quality ingredients sourced from local farms. Using pasture-raised beef and chicken and certified organic produce, their broths are rich in gut-healing collagen. Follow @brothypdx on Instagram.
Veronica Yanhs is the founder and CEO of Business Laid Bare, a consultancy that offers operations consulting and implementation to help impact-driven startups, nonprofits, and small businesses build sustainable and pleasurable growth. A project manager at heart, Veronica carefully crafts Orgasmic Operations strategies while ensuring that organizations fall in love with their operations and enhance their People, Profits, and Presence. Follow @businesslaidbare on Instagram.
Charlie Henderson is a zealous human being whose passions lie in human connection, pleasure, and somatic system-based healing. Their deepest desire is to support people in experiencing an authentic relationship with themselves, true liberation of the body, and the fullest expression of their desires. Their teachings seamlessly integrate their expertise in dance, Tantra, Yoga, and meditation, incorporating insights from Western neuroscience, psychology, and trauma healing to offer a comprehensive and holistic approach. Follow @charliehenderson_coaching on Instagram.
Rebecca Martinez is the Co-Founder and President of Cora Center, Portland's first BIPOC & LGBTQ+ psilocybin service center. Cora Center’s mission is to advance community health by providing a space for safe, ethical, and meaningful psilocybin experiences. They do this by collaborating with skilled facilitators, abiding by the highest standards of safety, and centering the wellbeing of participants throughout their work. Cora Center seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice by creating opportunities for new facilitators to receive supervision, mentorship, and apprenticeship. Follow @coracenterportland on Instagram.
Exit Bliss dedicates itself to aiding teams in addressing business challenges with a strategic approach, defined processes, and a clear roadmap. They are experts in Change Management, Organizational Development, and Succession Planning. Their mission is to become your process partner for organizational legacy. Follow @exitbliss on Instagram.
Dr. Montserrat Andreys, a queer and Latine sport chiropractor, is the founder and clinical director of Hey Doc Clinic, an interdisciplinary healthcare practice centering the wellness of queer, trans and BIPOC folx in Portland, OR while serving the community at large. The clinic is committed to social and healthcare justice by operating with a lens of equity, diversity and inclusion. Hey Doc Clinic is founded on the eight pillars of wellness: physical, social, emotional, occupational, financial, spiritual, intellectual and environmental. Dr. Andreys' mission is to model these principles of wellness in support of a healthful staff, providers and patients making decisions by weighing the benefits and impact to all three groups. Follow @heydocclinic on Instagram.
Lauren is dedicated to helping the community move through and beyond conflict for better living and working relationships. She works as a mediator for landlord/tenant disputes, a community mediator, and a workplace mediator. Additionally, Lauren offers equity-informed training on conflict styles, de-escalation, and conflict navigation. She has received extensive facilitation and mediation training and has volunteered as a Restorative Justice Facilitator, a small claims mediator, and a board member for the Oregon Mediation Association. Contact Lauren Gross Mediation and Facilitation for more information regarding her services.
Lavender Moon Wellness provides intuitive, inclusive, trauma-informed massage & herbal consultations in NE Portland. Owner, Samantha Paquette's experience as a massage client highlighted the importance of body care, inspiring her to share the benefits of massage with others. She aims to make massage accessible to everyone, shifting the perspective from it being a luxury to it feeling like an option to anyone and everyone. As a former doula and now a mother, Samantha has a special dedication to supporting prenatal and postpartum clients, understanding firsthand the importance of self-care in providing the best for our families. Follow @lavendermoonpdx on Instagram.
MakeWith Hardware & Learning Center is a new, queer-owned business dedicated to building individual skills for collective resilience in Portland, OR and beyond. They provide a curated collection of products, services and workshops on home maintenance, repair, emergency preparedness and other "resilience skills". Originally from outer SE Portland, MakeWith owner, Aria, is an educator, designer, and all-around DIY enthusiast. With MakeWith, Aria is excited to create a welcoming space for EVERYONE to learn and shop, especially women, queer and BIPOC folks. Follow @makewithpdx on Instagram.
Chef Nikeisah Newton, the 2024 “Game Changer” award winner from Dine Diasporas & Black Women in Food, is dedicated to advocating for the Sex Worker community and other marginalized groups. Through her pioneering business, Meals 4 Heels, Chef Newton offers a healthy and flavorful approach to vegan and gluten-free cuisine, continuing her mission to bring visibility and allyship to those often overlooked. Follow @meals4heels on Instagram.
Michelle Helman Consulting empowers change agents to enhance their leadership, communication, and facilitation skills, enabling them to build trust and co-create solutions with their teams and collaborators. With a passion for turning obstacles into opportunities, they bring over 20 years of local and global experience at the intersection of public health, education, violence prevention, and business. Follow Michelle Helman on LinkedIn.
OpenHAUS is a Black-owned, LGBTQ-owned, women-owned coworking business in Northeast Portland. Founded in 2015 by Cole and Day Reed, both business and life partners, openHAUS prioritizes inclusivity and fosters positive experiences for BIPOC, queer, and femme-identifying people. They created openHAUS in response to the dominance of cis-white male spaces in coworking, aiming for a more inclusive environment while still welcoming everyone.
PAZ Hair Lounge is a BIPOC-friendly and gender-inclusive salon that embraces all hair textures. Owner, Yannely Ayala, has fulfilled her passion of creating a beauty salon where clients feel welcomed and stylists earn an equitable rate. In addition, Nelly is co-owner of Viby, an e-commerce platform that exclusively features hair products owned by BIPOC entrepreneurs. Follow @pazhairlounge on Instagram.
Rooted 2 Spirit (R2S) is a Black-Lgbtq-woman owned coaching business that offers tarot centered sessions. R2S COACHING offers Single, Couples, and Family sessions. R2S leans into the belief that we are all connected energy that has the ability to reshape our reality through the help of our highest consciousness and our spirit guides. Tarot is a medium that is used to connect to those energies of high vibrations. Follow @rooted2spirit on Instagram.
Rooted Remedies Apothecary is Eugene's community apothecary. Kassaundra, founder and herbalist of Rooted Remedies, opened the doors to this brick and mortar in November 2022, with the intention to cultivate a space where community can gather and find more empowerment in their healing journeys through plant medicine, 1:1 consultations, and classes/workshops. Rooted Remedies Apothecary has gathered over 25 Oregon-based herbal businesses, creating a local, holistic place of health and healing. Follow @rootedremedies.co on Instagram.
Before bots created content, Rose Kaz was a pioneer in digital media, founding and leading a global production company of queer, kind, and creative camera professionals who traveled the world to tell compelling human stories. Over a decade, Rose worked as a tech consultant on camera APIs, curated strategic business relationships, and combined her creative and technical expertise. A three-time founder of impactful businesses, Rose's current project aims to build a better internet that is generative and human-centric, avoiding reliance on bots. Follow @sincerely_rose_kaz on Instagram.
Royal Rose is the Natural Smoke alternative. The company's line of sustainable and eco-friendly wraps and pre-rolled cones are organic and handmade using locally sourced and sustainably farmed roses. Follow @royalrosepdx on Instagram.
As a trans custom jewelry designer, Dazza Wong-Sjarif knows the importance of telling your unique story. Whether it's a timeless piece reflecting your journey or a statement creation expressing your individuality, Dazza will collaborate with you to craft a masterpiece that captures the essence of who you are. Follow @sjarifstudios on Instagram.
SkinLove Esthetic Studio is a queer owned Estheic studio which provides skincare and waxing services for all skin types, bodies and genders. Allison offers a range of skin care services, all customized to the unique needs of each client. SkinLove offers gender neutral and gender affirming waxing services and caters to all body types, shapes and sizes. Follw @skinlovepdxon Instagram.
Dahlia Hanson, the owner of Speed-O-Cappuccino, has turned a unique journey into a vibrant business. Drawing on the skills and resilience honed from her experience in sex work, Dahlia created Speed-O-Cappuccino, a queer bikini barista and vegan food cart. Here, indulgent, over-the-top vegan fare is served with flair and authenticity by a team of queer sex workers, making it a one-of-a-kind culinary haven. Follow @speedocappuccino on Instagram.
Tara Sonali Miller and Zeyah Alicia Rogé are co-owners of the Bhakti Yoga Movement Center (the BYMC). Their vision is to foster a space that encourages folks to connect with themselves and others in just, intentional, and generative ways. Movement practices at the BYMC center accessibility, trauma-informed approaches, cultural respect, and community. As the only South Asian and queer owned yoga space in Portland, intersectionality and honoring the roots of yoga are central to the BYMC community. Follow @thebhaktiyogamovementcenter on Instagram.
The Reframe Collective is a creative home for dreamers of all ages, offering community events, arts adventures, and handcrafted creations. They believe every moment is an opportunity to reshape the world, enhancing our tools for growth and living into the change we seek. Their open-air classroom and maker space host various programs like Re.Imaginaries Pre.School and The Tool School. Caitlin Pearl O’Quinn (they/them), a certified Health, Drama, and Art Teacher with extensive experience, leads the effort at The Reframe Collective to empower young people through a creative curriculum. They are committed to being a neuro-affirming, Covid-cautious community, ensuring a safe environment for all participants. Follow @thereframecollective on Instagram.
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