LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District

As the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District prepares to launch the fifth cohort of its Entrepreneur Training Program, we thought it would be nice to highlight the folks who completed the 9-week program in Cohorts numbers 1 through 4.

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

Skylar Mundy – Femmmeow – vintage media made modern and culturally relevant (website)
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)
Elle Sullivan – TBD – toys and jewelry for the kink community
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

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 Cohort 5.

The SF Recreation and Parks Commission will decide this week on a name for the new park to be built at Natoma and 11th Street, just a few feet north of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District.

We have been advocating for the park to be named after Rachele Sullivan, one of the founders of our Cultural District and a prominent figure in SOMA’s Filipino community. 

The hearing is Thursday, July 18, at 10 am, at SF City Hall, Room 416. 

We are in the home stretch in the process! We invite you to make your voices heard one more time to seal the deal.

They can take public comment over the phone but it’s always more powerful in person.

Additional information is on the Rec & Park website.

We are saddened to inform you that a trusted member of our community was recently attacked after leaving a SOMA bar. In response, numerous Leather, Kink, and LGBTQ+ organizations have come together to organize a Safety Forum, as a Community Unity Event.

Safety Forum:
Date: Saturday, July 20, 2024
Time: 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Place: SF Eagle

This is a call for our community to unite and stand against violence. We need your support and voices to join the conversation. Let’s come together to show our strength and solidarity.

Co-sponsors of this event include the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Onyx Northwest, and the SF Eagle.  Visit the Safety Forum Facebook event for latest info.   Please join us in this crucial gathering.

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is once again offering free walking tours of our fascinating and historic neighborhood.

Attendees tour SOMA for 90 minutes, learning how SOMA (South of Market) began attracting leather bars in the ’60’s, about the raucous exploits of the ’70’s when motorcycles lined the streets outside popular bars, and about today’s bar and clubs.

The tour runs about 90 minutes, and there are no hills.

Visit the SOMA Tours page for additional dates and other details.