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Catherine Perez

CEO @ Famm | LGBTQ+ Brands, Businesses and Connection

Catherine Perez is the CEO and Founder of Famm, a platform for discovering LGBTQ+ founded brands and products.1 She launched Famm in May 2023 and has grown the platform to include approximately 500 brands and products across nine categories and 75 product types.1

Professional Background

Prior to founding Famm, Catherine has an extensive career in product design and technology:

  • Previous Leadership Roles:
    • Chief Product Officer at HealthSherpa (May 2015 - May 2023)
    • Chief Product Officer at Soothe (February 2015 - May 2015)
    • Co-founder and CPO at HealthCareLove (December 2013 - January 2015)

Education and Skills

Catherine holds a BA in Graphic Design from Adelphi University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a 3.78 GPA.1 She also has additional training in web development from Thinkful and speaks English with full professional proficiency, with limited working proficiency in Spanish.1

Highlights

May 9 · linkedin

At Famm we understand that being part of the LGBTQ+ community involves a wide range of experiences. Beyond shared queerness, this also includes the complexities of intersectional identities and the variety of experiences they bring. As founders who embody multiple intersectional identities, we are deeply committed to recognizing and integrating these elements into our work.

It's Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. As a Korean-owned business, it's important that we share actionable ways you can show up and support this community.

I have experienced more racism and hate as an Asian person vs. as a Hispanic person. I've had to unpack this all of my life and continue to do so. It's a journey, and many assumptions (Model Minority Myth) have been made about me because of my appearance. This is not factoring in queerness or any other parts of my identity that influence how someone perceives me. But this experience is exactly why I care deeply for the celebration and success of Asian communities, including queer and allied folks.

Here are four ways to support and celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month:

  1. Support AANHPI businesses: Go to www.heyfamm.com and check out brands and services. You can filter under identity for AANHPI brands and service providers. If you have the means, spend your dollars with them. If you don't, you can still support them by sharing their profiles with others and/or following them on social.

  2. Attend or donate to Equality Fashion Week, the 1st LGBTQ+ focused Fashion Week in LA: This event is created and produced by NiK Kacy, a trans-masculine, nonbinary, queer, gaysian immigrant. If you're in LA from May 15-19th, please get some tickets at equalityfashionweek.com and attend. Famm will walk the runway on Saturday, repping THÚY Custom Clothier - an AAPI and queer-owned business!

  3. Help stop violence against AAPI communities: Follow & share reclaimingyourcourage.com with friends and family who want to learn trauma-informed self-defense practices from a badass self-defense coach and LGBTQ+ ally, Leslie Michelle Lew is based out of the Bay Area and founded her company in response to rising Anti-Asian hate crimes, addressing specific challenges faced by the Asian community and supporting marginalized groups.

  4. Follow Michelle MiJung Kim: a Korean-American immigrant, queer activist, and award-winning author of Wake Up. Michelle has and continues to dedicate her life to equity & justice for marginalized folks. She has been at the front lines in ALL respects when it comes to showing up and speaking out. Recently, Michelle has been incredibly inspiring and vocal on all platforms, personal and professional, to speak out against the horrors happening in Palestine.

#AAHNPIHeritageMonth #AAPIHeritageMonth

Related Questions

What inspired Catherine Perez to start Famm?
How did Catherine Perez's experience at HealthSherpa prepare her for founding Famm?
What are some of the challenges Catherine Perez has faced as the CEO of Famm?
How does Famm support LGBTQ+ businesses?
What are the main categories and product types listed on Famm?
Catherine Perez
Catherine Perez, photo 1
Catherine Perez, photo 2
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Location

Sacramento, California, United States