We are very pleased to announce that the fifth cohort of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Entrepreneur Training Program has nine graduates, who are now (or will soon be) offering their goods and services to our community!
Here is a list of the folks who have completed this 9-week program, in Cohorts numbers 1 through 5.
Cohort 1:
Graduated September, 2022
- Joseph Valliere — Downtown Armor — Rubber gear, ultimately boots and a kink consignment shop. (facebook, etsy)
- James Strock — Recreating rubber gear from a new proprietary polymer
- Jordan Fickel / Patrick Stephenson — BEARPAD — Art brand celebrating big bodies. (art, store, instagram)
- Gloria Polo — Fire Dragon Photography — Leather/Kink photography (facebook, website)
- Anna Randall and Richard Sprott — TASHRA – The Alternative Sexualties Health Research Alliance — improving healthcare services to kinksters (website, facebook, instagram)
Cohort 2:
Graduated April, 2023
- Marcos victor de brito puglielli– House of Puglielli — Custom leather design, sculptural, wearble art (website, facebook, instagram)
- Dr. Zo Marcos Zotigh — Needle Play Acupuncture — Acupuncture Clinic (website, facebook, instagram)
- Sumiko Saulson — Mauskaveli — Hand painted wooden paddles, plus jewelry, books and clothing (website, books, facebook)
- Alejandra Bravo Ducey — Raptrix — Small batch bondage gear for every body (shop, instagram, facebook)
- Nate Boles — Wylde Honey Productions — Queer erotic artist promotion, production and reproduction
- Angela Wilson — Cognizant Healing — Intimacy coaching for therapists (website, facebook)
- Angeli [Daytona] Lata — Murder They Wore — Fetish fashion (website, facebook)
- Kangcheng Yin — Kuma Club SF — Gay Bathhouse/Sex Club (facebook)
- Byrd Bannick — ByrdBeaks — Fabric based queer gear and accessories (website, facebook)
- Chris Hughes — Skunkheart — Queer and kinky TTRPG content (facebook, links)
Cohort 3:
Graduated August, 2023
Jay Budd – Frisky Foxxx Productions (LLC) – ethical pornography and infotainment.
May Fendell – SINNAttire – latex and cosplay clothing
Jasmine Robinson and Shelby Baizar – B.Tourmaline – Events, merchandise and resources serving Black Queer and Trans populations (Instagram)
Lilith Spillz – Lilith Spillz – custom kink accessories from reclaimed materials (website)
Michael “Spike” Sandberg – Leather Legends – Leather consignment service and shop
Isabella Delan Kalfen (Izzy Delan she/her) – Babygirl Inc. – custom industrial gear and jewelry
Rochelle Benjamin – Pans Labrnth – Kink & leather clothes, gear, and wigs
David Khalili – Rouse Relational Wellness – sex and relationship wellness center (website)
Diablo & Amande – AfterDark Productions, LLC – Event venue for the kink and alternative-sexuality communities (website)
Adrianne zi – TBD – Writing drawing painting kinky art
Brad Schwab – JetPup – Colorful and playful clothing and accessories for the pup play community (website)
Cohort 4:
Graduated October, 2023
Aaron Joseph – Cumply – Experimental kink and fetish items (website)
Michael Devin – Doppelbanger Toys – Custom made sex toys modeled after real people (website)
Daniel Brusilovsky – TBD – High-end kink furniture and accessories
Jocelyn Garibay – The Communal Toy – Handmade, high quality, safe kink furniture (website)
Alexandra Cardinale-Weinberg (Sasha) – Rocket Ready Apparel – custom themed collars and harnesses, and resin accessories (website, etsy)
Conrad Park – BOBA Munch – kink community (website)
Jessica (JessJess) Mumper – Beyond the Rainbow Events – a welcoming and enjoyable environment for themed immersive events (links)
Amy Dacker – Kink Konnectress (?) – Matchmaking, dating coaching, and background and reference checking for Kink, BDSM, Queer, and Poly communities
Neri Cafri – TBD – Second hand leather and kink gear
Jesse West – Big Mood Network, LLC – Creative urban infill for community arts & entrepreneurial outlets
jacqueline cosgrove – QBL (QuadrupleBottomLine) – A space for workshops, parties and exploration of kink, sex positive and restorative play
Cohort 5:
Graduated November, 2024
- Lior Ray Ayalon – The Spooky Haus – A transgender artist collective, working in a variety of mediums, including leather, acrylic, resin, chain, and printmaking.
- Sura Hertzberg – Eros and Psyche / Sex & Psychedelics – A magazine on the intersection of sex and psychedelics (e.g. kink, BDSM, and playing with shadow), bringing the community together for educational, playful, and interactive events around these topics.
- Francisco Grajales – Stingy Thuddy – Hand crafted kinky gear for horny people.
- Eve Minax – Eve Minax Consulting/MX Productions – Demystifying BDSM by showing personal growth seekers how to be more confident, compassionate, kid-ass kinksters.
- Dylan Peet – VENEER – A leather consignment and queer fashion boutique.
- Hallie Mayo – Stained Glass Mommy – Queer kinky stained glass art (butt plugs, poppers bottles, and other kink related sun catchers).
- Victoria Victrola – Blue Victrola – Event hosting specializing in music, tea, picnics, charcuterie, and whimsy.
- Bronica DeCarlo – Bronica Blue Art – Kink themed jewelry, like butt earrings, big rings that have kink-related statements on them, and similar items, many hand sculpted and molded.
- Anna Sthesia – Hidden Function – Queening chairs and other BDSM/kink objects, hidden in plain sight and discreetly disguised as “normal,” high-end home furniture.
The District is proud to be able to help leather community folk start and build their businesses.
Learn more about the program, or sign up for the next Cohort.