Panel: Spotlight on Seattle’s LGBTQ Small Business Community

To celebrate Pride Month 2021, we’re partnering with Intentionalist to host a virtual panel discussion to spotlight Seattle’s LGBTQ business community.

The panel will feature 4 LGBTQ small business owners, and the discussion will be led by Laura Clise, Founder and CEO of Intentionalist, giving us the opportunity to hear directly from local business owners, learn about their individual stories, and explore the many ways they bring value to Seattle and its communities. We’ll discuss the larger challenges they face, how each was impacted by the pandemic, and the steps we as consumers can take -- no matter how small! -- to strengthen the economic and social fabric of our city.

This panel will also spark participants’ thinking about the importance of spending their money where it matters. From where they buy a cup of coffee, select a birthday gift, or workout, they can keep our communities vibrant and diverse with the power of their wallets.

Intentionalist is an online guide to intentional spending that supports small businesses and diverse local communities. They make it easy for consumers to find local restaurants, bars, gyms, shops, and more owned by women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ, families, and differently-abled people. Beyond serving as a directory, Intentionalist supports community connection through business profiles based on interviews with local business owners, and meet-ups that provide the opportunity to meet them and learn about the stories behind their businesses.