When Cat Perez and Marianna Di Regolo, a queer married couple with a toddler, launched “Famm” in 2023, they understood the importance of choice, whether it be the family you create, the family you choose, or the service providers and products within a community that bridges us all together.
The couple tells So.Gay that the idea for Famm—a marketplace where you can easily discover LGBTQ+-owned e-commerce brands, products, and (mostly) virtual services—started because there wasn’t an easy way to finder gender-affirming brands.
We’re referring to Perez and Di Regolo as one because, although they’re speaking from different rooms in the house on Zoom (one is on child duty), they’re both using the same screen name. Perhaps it’s quite literally true what they say about couples morphing into one being, but Di Regolo assures us she signed on to the wrong account.
In a nutshell, FAMM connects consumers to a directory of queer-owned small businesses.
“I’m a very visual person, and my expertise is in user experience design,” says Perez. “But there wasn’t any [directory] out there that was easy to use or even focused on efficiency.”
She previously worked as a chief product officer at the largest private online marketplace that connected low-income, uninsured people to subsidized health coverage under Obamacare.
On the other hand, Di Regolo previously taught LGBTQ+ individuals how to grow their businesses online through various marketing channels.
“We also wanted to do what we could to bring more agency, influence and power to queer entrepreneurs and business owners,” adds Perez.
She emphasizes that this is why they focus on the “Founder Interview,” which manifests as FAMM’s blog. This initiative aims to humanize queer businesses and spotlight the unique backgrounds each individual brings through a professional and personal lens.
“We get to know the entrepreneurs behind the businesses,” explains Perez. “We want to understand where they struggled and what they learned because we don’t believe in gatekeeping.”
Di Regolo adds that having children made them become more conscious of where their dollars were going. But more than that, they wanted to empower queer businesses and customers with the principles – and safety – of community; having access to products and providers that cater to queer needs and lived experiences.
“Community has been our secret to success,” says Di Regolo, reflecting on the eagerness shown by their initial vendors to collaborate.
Two women hitting the ground running with a tech-oriented product might’ve encountered the turbulence of sexism among business owners in a traditional hetero landscape, but queer leaders welcomed the opportunity – and the invaluable network Famm was fostering.
Di Regolo explains that they connect vendors with customers and with each other. For example, they’re hosting a FAMM Picnic in July for LGBTQ+ small business owners in New York.
So while they’ve been able to monetize their platform via charging a monthly fee to service providers, they’re committing to the queer activism that motivated them to start the company: Uplift queer businesses and inspire more of them.
Famm’s ripple effect is a splash of endless positivity, especially considering Di Regolo and Perez are just two of many queer owners who want their company to stand for something greater.
Many of the vendors they’re helping have impactful initiatives of their own. For instance, NiK Kacy Footwear launched Equality Fashion Week, while Origami Customs participated in the aforementioned Equality Fashion Week and brought attention to social activism. Additionally, Gay Pride Apparel partnered with HBO Max’s drag docuseries “We’re Here” for a fundraiser.
At the end of the grind, queer people desire what any person wants: a sense of belonging and fulfillment, which starts at home but continues with every purchase.
The folks you hire or brands that receive your money are not your family, per se, but isn’t it nice when your interactions organically feel like it?
Famm knows that under the rainbow, we all live, work, and bleed Pride.
