Famm Connect Is Building the LinkedIn For Queer Professionals

LinkedIn is the most widely used application for professional networking, but it doesn’t cater to specific marginalized groups. Specifically, there’s a gap for the LGBTQIA+ professional community, which still faces workplace discrimination. Yet, the queer economy is growing rapidly and representing an estimated $1.4 trillion in spending power in the U.S.

Puerto Rican Cat Perez experienced the gap for the LGBTQIA+ professional community themself. “I’ve gone through my fair share of being overlooked and undervalued while so many cis-het white people were trusted without question,” they say. “Hiring within the community means tapping into an incredible pool of talent that’s often underestimated, but deeply capable. Queer people, especially those who aren’t gay white men, are often passed over for promotions, excluded from leadership roles, and underrepresented in boardrooms.”

Perez and their wife, Marianna Di Regolo, decided to devise a solution. “With the growth of organizations like Lesbians Who Tech and Out in Tech, it was clear there was momentum,” Perez explains. “Values-based shopping is on the rise, and brand loyalty is increasingly shaped by things like company DEI commitments and CEO values. That made it clear there was both a need and a desire for a platform like Famm.”

The pair created HeyyFamm.com to make it easy to find inclusive LGBTQ+-owned brands and service providers. There are over 500 brands and business vendors on FAMM include marketers, therapists, home organizers, DEI trainers, and beyond. “We need spaces built on trust and community, where we can show up fully, share opportunities, uplift each other’s work, and grow together. By building networks rooted in community, we can counteract the systemic challenges that persist in traditional professional settings.” Perez says.

To foster deeper connections a mobile app was launched — Famm Connect. “People kept asking us how to get introduced to other founders on Famm. They wanted to collaborate, but there was no industry-agnostic, queer-centered platform rooted in community and connection that existed in a free app,” Perez says.

Famm Connect is the first app for LGBTQ+ professionals to connect, share, and grow together. It’s a dedicated platform for LGBTQ+ professionals to list their services and collaborate. “People have hired one another, bought from one another, partnered, and more,” Perez says. Since the app launched in December of 2024, it’s grown rapidly with a community of a highly experienced professional user base with over 2,500 members and 1,000 LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Nearly half of all users have over eight years of professional experience, and 39% have significant experience of 12 years or more.

“When we invest in each other, whether through hiring, collaboration, or services, we’re building economic power that supports our community directly,” Perez says. “Now more than ever, we need to show up for one another, build collective power, and spend our money with intention. Economic impact is one of the most powerful tools we have. When we direct our dollars toward queer-owned businesses and service providers, we’re not just supporting individuals; we’re building a stronger, more self-sustaining community.”