Being an entrepreneur is not easy. Add in being transgender or gender non-affirming, and things can get a lot harder.
But there’s a group of people in the Bay Area who are trying to change that while building a strong sense of community, and among them is Devon Burton.
Burton is a healer and currently operates an acupuncture clinic in Oakland’s Dimond District. But if all goes according to plan, they will be able to see patients at clinics in Oakland and San Francisco, providing safer and more comfortable spaces for holistic healing — especially for people who are transgender and gender non-conforming.
“I’m transgender, I’m black, and so many people in my community need the extra help,” Burton said.
Burton hopes to expand their business and is on track to do so. They are part of a selective group of early-stage, trans and queer entrepreneurs who will receive four months of business coaching, mentorship and ultimately a $10,000 grant.
It’s called the Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program or EAP. It is run by the San Francisco Transgender District and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) funds it.
“I applied for this program so many times before I got the company, but I couldn’t get in. I felt like I wanted to be part of this community,” Burton said.
A community where they can sharpen their business acumen, learn from peers, and figure out how to best navigate the obstacles that trans entrepreneurs often face.
“We don’t always get the subsidies; we can’t always get into every space because not every space is safe for us. It’s not just that there’s financial support, it’s not just the lessons that build my business so that I know how to doing it – it’s also the literal community I get. One of the benefits I get is the overwhelming feeling that I’m not alone,” Burton said.
Sam Favela, the program director, says the EAP was created out of necessity almost four years ago.
“To be an entrepreneur on your own — even if you’re transgender or a person of color — it’s hard,” says Favela.
“There are so many barriers they have to face and things they don’t have access to. This program here breaks through all that and gives them the opportunity to live happily their way – the way you would want someone else to live.” to do differently,” Favela said.
Favela says the program has proven successful, with many people opening storefronts or expanding their businesses.
“Throughout this program, they slowly start to build that trust — they start to see themselves as more than just, I’d like to do this, no, I’m doing this,” Favela said.
“This program is an opportunity to show themselves that they can be more than just what people think they are. With this opportunity they show that. But what cannot be quantified is really special,” says Favela.
“Something you can’t quantify is how much these people’s lives change and how much they impact other people’s lives – and the community that is built. People ask all the time, okay, when is the next cohort, how can I get involved? They hear and see these transformations,” Favela said.
“For them to come back, I know we’re doing something right – that they feel safe here – it makes me want to come back and do more,” says Favela.
Zeus Hines went through a previous cohort and is grateful that the program existed and still exists.
“It feels really good to know that there are other people like me who have the opportunity to expand their business. It’s harder for us to access these types of opportunities. It’s great to have the Transgender District available to us to have,” Hines said.
They are now in the process of expanding their business, Concept Kitchen.
“I’m looking at different spaces in San Francisco.” Hopefully I’ll have a space soon – maybe this year or early next year. I’m looking for a physical store so I can sell food there,” Hines said.
Each entrepreneur who goes through the program has a different plan, mission and dream. But while the details vary, the sentiment remains the same: Like everyone else, they strive for success – and support is the key to finding it.
This is why the program’s unspoken benefit, community aspect and collective power are critical to Burton.
“I think for a lot of black trans people, the idea of being normal and beautiful and loved is so difficult without someone whispering to them every day that you deserve to be alive right now,” Burton said.
Every day, Burton sees and appreciates people for who they are. They would like to see more of that in the community.
“I always appreciate the work people do to make spaces more accessible and safer – I want to see the effort, I want people to ask questions. And at the same time, I think there needs to be more,” Burton said.
That’s one of the many reasons they’re driven to expand. To build more collective power and offer a place where people feel safe and seen, for a moment of peace in which they can be 100% of who they are.
