FROM THE START: A chat with the founder of Act Up

Ascender’s FROM THE START series continues with our 2022–2023 Incubator!

Too often, we learn from other founders only after they’ve “already made it,” but there’s a lot to gain from their journeys as early-stage entrepreneurs. FROM THE START is our ongoing interview series with founders from our Incubator that traces their startup stories from the beginning, reveals some of the resources helping them overcome the bumps, and points out ways you can help them thrive.

Since joining the 2022–2023 Incubator in June, all of the companies have been hustling to get their brands and businesses out there. Now it’s time to get to know them!

Some answers have been edited slightly for brevity.

What’s been the journey that’s led you to start your company?

My journey leading up to starting my company is one in which I sought out entrepreneurship as a need. I sought to create a working environment where Black Queer folks like myself have careers that accommodate their needs and lifestyle in a way that doesn’t force them to shrink themselves or their identities down, be exploited, overworked, and undervalued for their contributions.

What’s the problem that your business is solving?

Act Up is a creative collective dedicated to supporting Black Queer Artists to gain more freedom and agency over their lives and careers. As a startup, we are building our pedagogy around creative entrepreneurship as a tool for gaining financial security, career fulfillment, and community.

As a Black Queer Autistic person, I’ve found that traditional work environments are inaccessible for most people. But additional labor is required to manage my disability in these spaces. Often this labor is completely separate and greater than the labor required to do the job at hand.

As the pandemic drags on, it’s evident that even non-disabled people understand this experience. Many of us became aware of just how much labor we don’t get paid for, and many had the choice to stop. But when we’re talking about an already deeply marginalized community predisposed to chronic burnout, combined with being in an “at will” employment state, the result is disproportionate job and housing insecurity.

By creating an accessible road map to creative entrepreneurship, Act Up focuses on giving Black Queer Artists ownership over their labor and agency over their lives.

What bumps have you encountered so far in your entrepreneurial journey?

I’ve faced many challenges in my first year — from experiencing housing insecurity due to unpaid invoices from massive institutions to autistic burnout resulting from keeping my business alive while recovering from that financial hardship. But the biggest challenge during that time was being underestimated; being the only person believing in myself as I clung to my business to see me through. When everyone else lost faith, I persevered and came back stronger than when I started. I was reminded that I had no choice but to create a solution because the big picture is community health, and the stakes are life and death.

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

I have a complicated relationship with being an entrepreneur as I’m often the only Black, Queer, Autistic person in the room. It’s extremely isolating, on top of entrepreneurship already being a lonely road. But regardless of how I feel, I’ve realized entrepreneurship is my chance at a career that is accessible and sustainable for my well-being.

What’s a resource or tip that’s helped you develop as a founder and move your business forward?

My success seems to result from mostly two things: believing in the talents and strengths I possess and then learning about and seeking out tools that help organize and streamline my efforts.

Coming from a Fine Arts background, it seemed arbitrary who “made it” and who didn’t. There were no pricing or marketing workshops, just pseudo, merit-based opportunities that leave you overworked and underpaid, or famous, overworked, and underpaid if you’re lucky. This caused me to lose self-efficacy, even as someone who managed to sell art as a child.

So to be grounded and realistic about my strengths in a way that lends itself to strategizing, I can accomplish almost anything or know when it’s time to ask for help.

What’s next? How can our readers help you?

When I set out to create Act Up, I knew I was the perfect person for this role. My experiences as a Black Queer Disabled person give me a deep understanding of the problem at hand, but because I’m a part of the community that I serve, my business is vulnerable to the same systemic forces that I’m working against.

I assumed that because I understood the problem intimately, I could figure out the solutions, but the reality is resources and connections build the kind of power and solutions I’m seeking.

To date, we’ve accrued no debt and invested zero dollars into the business because I didn’t have it to give. But from April 2022 to May 2023, we’ve brought in over $13,000 in funds between revenue and grants alone. We’ve made tremendous progress toward our goals for creative community engagement, but to continue building community wellness, we need more resources to invest in Black Queer Artists.

We’re looking to raise $10,000 in funds as we prepare to launch our first workshop series under our pilot company Mims Ceramics. Mims Ceramics is a handmade home goods and smokeware brand. We ask that folks help to spread the word both about our upcoming workshops as well as our crowdfunding efforts. Share it with a friend, buy a piece for yourself, or shout us out from the rooftops if you’d like.

But if you want to support Act Up, the best way is to support the projects we fund. If you’re interested in making a larger contribution, please reach out to actupcreativecollective@gmail.com.

Learn more about Act Up.

Visit: https://actup.one/about and https://www.mimsceramics.co/

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From fledgling tech companies, healthcare innovators, and nonprofits to makers, creators, services and shops, Ascender is for Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurs. We help businesses of all types in the Pittsburgh region start and build a business through education and connectivity. See how Ascender can help you.

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NOLA MIMS was originally published in Ascender on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.