GSBA

Pride Luncheon is officially sold out, and June 2 can't come soon enough 🌈

Take one final peek at the artists, makers, bakers, stylists, and community partners you'll find at the Pride Luncheon & Pop-Up Market next week.

✨ Reforged and Rewoven
Q***r-crafted jewelry, reworked vintage garments, and custom attire designed for self-expression, movement, and becoming.

🌸 LA Wiltbank Art
Original artwork inspired by flowers, color, and creativity. Fun fact: LA has painted more than 16,000 flowers and is still counting.

🥐 Gamo
Fresh-baked conchas, pastries, cakes, breads, flan, fruit tarts, and other sweet treats made from scratch.

🔮 Serious Essentials
Crystals, tarot cards, incense, candles, and metaphysical tools for every kind of spiritual practice.

👗 Joy Face Creative
Personal styling and curated fashion experiences that help you show up authentically and confidently.

📚 GSBA Advocacy
Learn more about the work happening across Washington to support and protect LGBTQ+ communities.

🎓 GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund
Meet the team behind the scholarships, and educational opportunities helping LGBTQ+ students thrive.

A huge thank you to our partners who help make Pride Luncheon possible each year: Presenting Partner Kaiser Permanente, Event Partners Olympic Hot Tub and Amazon.com, Media Partner The Seattle Times, and Venue Partner Sheraton Grand Seattle.

Next stop: Pride Month 🦄🌈

Pride Luncheon is officially sold out, and we can't wait to see y'all decked out and ready to kick off Pride Month! 🌈🦄

We’ve got another sneak peek at some of the LGBTQ+ artists, makers, creators, and small businesses you'll find at the Pride Luncheon Pop-Up Market before the festivities begin.

🏺 Pottery Northwest
A Seattle arts institution creating space for artists of all backgrounds to explore, learn, and build community through clay.

✨ Crystal Lounge by Crystallography Gems
Rare crystals, fossils, jewelry, celestial treasures, and one of the most diverse mineral collections in the Pacific Northwest.

📸 A Q***r Photog (Holly Stevens)
Film photography, portraits, and prints celebrating q***r life, self expression, and the beauty of being fully yourself. They may or may not have a polaroid camera to memorialize the start of the month!

☕ Boon Boona Coffee
Bringing the rich traditions of East African coffee culture to Seattle through exceptional coffee and community connection.

We’ll see you at the Sheraton Grand Seattle on Tuesday!

💄🍳 Celebrate Pride at Bombo Italian Kitchen’s high-energy Drag Brunch featuring iconic host Queen Andrew Scott, performances by Issa Man and Glenn Coco, and music from DJ Memo.

Enjoy brunch cocktails, espresso martinis, brunch favorites, and nonstop entertainment while supporting LGBTQ+ youth through wayOUT.

GSBA members save 50% on entry with code "GSBAPRIDE".

Grab your ticket: https://members.thegsba.org/eventcalendar/Details/bombo-drag-brunch-1751359?sourceTypeId=Website

Here’s a little peek at who you’ll find shopping, sniffing, browsing, and absolutely convincing yourself “okay one little treat” at the GSBA Pride Luncheon & Pop-Up Market 🌈🛍️

The GSBA Pride Luncheon & Pop-Up Market brings together local LGBTQ+ and allied makers, artists, creatives, and small businesses for one afternoon of community, connection, and very good impulse purchases.

✨ Positive Masculinity
Apparel, art, and goods centered around expanding masculinity, identity, and self-expression through a q***r lens.

🪵 Rusted Element Design
Seattle artist Jen Albright creates handmade goods, teaches beginner-friendly art workshops, and helps fellow creatives grow their own artistic practice. Expect handcrafted pieces, creative energy, and maybe your next hyperfixation hobby.

🕯️ Eshava
Handcrafted fragrances made for the q***rs, by the q***rs. Immigrant-owned and rooted in culture, identity, and sensory storytelling, Eshava creates scents designed to spark memory, emotion, and connection.

🌿 The Kristen Paul Collection
Women-owned botanically infused body care handmade in Seattle using flowers, herbs, plant butters, essential oils, and skin-soothing ingredients designed to help hardworking hands feel human again.

Plus: lunch, community, and a featured conversation with TomboyX co-founder and President Fran Dunaway.

📍 Sheraton Grand Seattle
🗓️ Tuesday, June 2
🛍️ 10:30 AM
🎟️: https://members.thegsba.org/eventcalendar/Details/gsba-pride-luncheon-and-pop-up-market-2026-1695404?sourceTypeId=Website&_gl=1*1pz6zjb*_gcl_au*MzIyNjk1MjQ2LjE3NzczMDcyNTIuNzU0NTI5MjgwLjE3ODAwMDAyMDAuMTc4MDAwMTE2OA..

From boxer briefs to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list? Yeah, we’d have questions too 👀🩲

Fran Dunaway, co-founder and President of TomboyX, is this year’s featured speaker for the GSBA Pride Luncheon & Pop-Up Market on June 2 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle.

What started as a passion project with her wife and co-founder Naomi Gonzalez grew into one of the most recognizable q***r-founded brands in the country, challenging norms around comfort, fit, identity, and inclusion along the way.

After returning to TomboyX last year to help lead the company into its next era, Fran brings a founder’s perspective on resilience, leadership, brand purpose, and building businesses that create real cultural impact.

Plus: LGBTQ+ small business vendors, community connection, and a room full of folxs showing up for q***r entrepreneurship during Pride Month 🌈

📍 Sheraton Grand Seattle
🗓️ Tuesday, June 2
🕜 10:30 AM
🎟️: https://members.thegsba.org/eventcalendar/Details/gsba-pride-luncheon-and-pop-up-market-2026-1695404?sourceTypeId=Website&_gl=1*yw52g*_gcl_au*MzIyNjk1MjQ2LjE3NzczMDcyNTIuMTk2Njk2NzYxMC4xNzc5OTA1NDMyLjE3Nzk5MDU2Mjc.

What happens when nearly 200 business owners, nonprofit leaders, creatives, advocates, and community builders gather in one room? A whole lot of joy, strategy, honesty, and connection 💚

Thank you to everyone who made the 2026 GSBA Economic Development Conference our most successful one yet.

From conversations about AI readiness and economic outlooks to networking with actual depth and discussions around authenticity in leadership, the energy in the room reminded us exactly why LGBTQ+ and allied businesses continue to lead with resilience, creativity, and care for community.

Huge thank you to our speakers, panelists, elected officials, sponsors, volunteers, and every attendee who showed up ready to learn, connect, and invest in each other.

And shoutout to the final session of the day for giving us the line we’ll probably be carrying into every networking event moving forward: “Don’t be boring, be kind, and if you can’t be perfect, be fabulous.”

We’re still smiling over the conversations, the dream wall, the packed rooms, and all the new connections formed throughout the day ✨

Keep sharing your photos and favorite moments with and tag GSBA so we can keep celebrating with you!
It’s not nerves, you’re excited.

Mayor Katie B. Wilson, Seattle Office of Economic Development, Seattle City Council, Michi Suzuki, GreenRubino, Structured Space Professional Organizing, Economic Opportunity Institute, FWC26Seattle, The Fresh Toast

Pride Month starts in ONE WEEK and trust us, this is the kind of kickoff you do not want to miss 🌈✨

On June 2, the Sheraton Grand Seattle will fill with local artists, makers, entrepreneurs, and community members for GSBA’s annual Pride Luncheon & Pop-Up Market, an afternoon celebrating q***r entrepreneurship, connection, and the businesses helping shape our region.

💍 Twyla Dill Design
Inspired by antique textiles and traditional lacework, Twyla Dill creates sculptural fine jewelry that blends softness, craftsmanship, and modern design. Each piece is thoughtfully made in precious metals with an emphasis on texture, detail, and timeless wearability.

🕯️ Noir Lux Candle Co.
A proudly Black-owned, woman-led candle company creating hand-poured soy candles, community-centered experiences, and space for creativity to thrive. Every candle is crafted in small batches in Seattle using premium ingredients designed for a clean burn and cozy vibes.

Plus: lunch, community, and a featured conversation with TomboyX Co-Founder & President Fran Dunaway.

🎟️ Tickets are $65 and include the luncheon + access to the Pop-Up Market. Grab yours: https://members.thegsba.org/eventcalendar/Details/gsba-pride-luncheon-and-pop-up-market-2026-1695404?sourceTypeId=Website

Struggling to keep up with your L&I premiums? You’re not alone—and there are options.

L&I’s Employer Assistance Program may waive penalties and interest if your business is experiencing financial hardship and you’re able to pay within a set timeframe. It’s designed to give small businesses breathing room when it’s needed most.

If you’re feeling behind, don’t wait—there may be support available.
Learn more about the program at Lni.wa.gov/agency/outreach/employer-assistance-program or reach out to Toraya at [email protected].

📸 Rachael Jones Media creates polished, scroll-stopping photo and video content for brands, events, hospitality spaces, and businesses that want visuals people can’t seem to forget. From lifestyle shoots and social content to FAA-certified drone footage, Rachael brings big-production energy without losing the personality behind the brand.

Their work has been featured on Good Morning America and The Today Show, with clients including Amazon, Hyatt, Marriott, HGTV.com, Visit Seattle, the Seattle Kraken, MLB, and Bumbershoot.

As a le***an and q***r-owned business, Rachael Jones Media is deeply rooted in community storytelling and creating spaces where people feel seen on both sides of the camera. Rachael shared that growing up in East Tennessee, “Dolly Parton country,” made finding creative community in Seattle feel even more meaningful.

Whether you need event coverage, branded content, hospitality photography, drone footage, or social assets for summer campaigns, now’s the time to get on the books.

You can catch Rachael Jones Media this June as a sponsored vendor at the Dress for Success Summer Soirée or in the GSBA LGBTQ+ and Allied Business Directory✨

https://members.thegsba.org/activememberdirectory/Details/rachael-jones-media-4755965