Smash the Box Graduates from the 1st GSBA Small Business Incubator Program
How it Started
This month Smash the Box was honored to be part of the 1st of the 1st of graduates in the GSBA’s Small Business Incubator Program. The GSBA small business program is a collaboration with GSBA community partner Ventures, and is designed for any trans, gender diverse, or QTBIPOC entrepreneur or small business owner looking to take the next step with their business. The program itself partnered with Ventures Nonprofit to allow new businesses who are Queer, Transgender, and Black, Indigenous, and or People of Color (QTBIPOC)owned to take Ventures' eight-week Business Basics Course + receive a free 1st year GSBA membership.
March 19th, 2020
Transgender Socio Economic Facts
It’s not new news that QTBIPOC business owners have immediate and sustaining resources for starting a business. We often have more barriers to accessing resources, capital, and safe spaces to learn how to even go about running a business. Yes Segura, Founder of Smash the Box is both an openly Transgender Man and El Salvadoran American.
The Transgender Unemployment Rate is 3xs the U.S. Average. It’s even higher for Black, Indigenous, Latino and other People of Color.
Source: Inequality.org
U.S. Poverty rate for Transgender Communities is double the national average. This is more true for BIPOC communities who identify as Transgender.
Source: Inequality.org
COVID-19 severely impacted the Transgender community with higher reduced work hours, more pay cuts, and higher unemployed rates. Numbers are higher for the BIPOC community.
Source: Inequality.org
How it Ended
The GSBA and Ventures celebrated the accomplishments of 13 graduates in early July 2020. Watch the Graduation video below to learn about Smash the Box, each of the other businesses, and explore what it means to truly support economic equity for transgender, gender-diverse, and QTBIPOC communities.
Smash the Box highly encourages the Queer Transgender and BIPOC community who are starting businesses to apply for the program as it was highly beneficial for us. Here are the basic qualifications.
Qualifications:
- Identify as LGBTQ+ BIPOC, Transgender, or Gender Diverse
- Over the age of 18
- Have one solid for-profit business idea and at least one year's experience in the respective field
