Being an entrepreneur can be isolating at times. If you belong to an equity-deserving group, it can be even harder to connect with peers.

That’s why the Rainbow Entrepreneur Collective (REC) was established. REC is a space for 2SLGBTQIA+ business owners to come together. This supportive network regularly gathers to discuss their experiences as entrepreneurs and  2SLGBTQIA+ community members.

Small Business BC interviewed two of REC’s co-founders, Parker Green McLean and Jarren MacDougall, to learn more.

How the Rainbow Entrepreneur Collective Began

Every year, Small Business BC hosts a Pride meetup to bring the 2SLGBTQIA+ community together for networking and a panel discussion. Parker and Jarren attended in 2023, and they were struck by how refreshing it was to have a welcoming and connected community. They wanted to keep the ball rolling.

So, they contacted Small Business BC’s CEO Tom Conway. Turns out, Tom was of the same mind and already had plans in the works to create something new. Together, Tom, Jarren, Parker, along with two other co-founders, Karley Cunningham of Big. Bold. Brand Inc. and Mathew Gillis of BDC, the five created REC.

Part of the reason why Parker and Jarren were so keen to work together on REC was because the SBBC Pride meetup felt totally different from other networking events they’d attended as entrepreneurs.

Meet Harc Creative

Parker and Jarren are both life and business partners at Harc Creative. With Parker on the design side and Jarren on the storytelling side, the pair use their natural strengths and expertise gleaned from lived experience to help their clients.

Harc means to listen intently, and that’s exactly what they bring to the table that’s missing from the heart of many organizations.

“We often get told that we’re brand therapists for organizations, helping them understand what’s getting in the way of them having that connective feeling that they’re all striving for,” said Jarren.

Harc Creative connects brands with the people behind the brands. They bring organizations together through cohesive brand strategy, identity design, individual and team coaching, research, and communication design.

In their work, they gather organizations around the table and work to break down silos to unite common threads of strategy. With a clear and authentic brand, organizations can improve engagement by working with Harc Creative.

The Need for the Rainbow Entrepreneur Collective

As visibly Gay business owners, Parker and Jarred had difficulty feeling like they belonged when they explored professional organizations.

“Often, the first question that everybody wanted to ask us was, ‘What’s it like being a gay business owner?’ That’s an interesting question, we’re open and authentic and willing to share. But what we noticed is that we weren’t actually able to get anything from those professional organizations that would help us,” said Jarren.

They found that at networking events, there was often someone up on a stage who everyone listens to. Attendees might introduce themselves to a couple of people and leave with a handful of business cards, but generally, they don’t feel truly seen or experience real connection, certainly not while alcohol was being served, too.

So, Parker and Jarren wanted to turn the idea of a traditional entrepreneur gathering on its head. Instead of listening to somebody up on a stage, could it be about everyone being listened to?

The Power of Listening in Small Groups

At the very first REC meeting, participants did a listening exercise that brought everyone together to ask what was needed instead of organizers dictating what the agenda and purpose of REC would be.

“Let’s listen first and then act from there,” said Parker. “The listening part was essential at the beginning, and we ask for feedback after every single session so that we’re still listening.”

Today, REC participation is limited to 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs to provide a safe space to talk about the queer experience.

Facilitated small group discussions allow everyone to speak up and listen. Whether they are naturally extroverted or introverted, everyone has a chance to talk. Parker said that it’s been amazing to watch people come out of their shells and be seen and heard by the group.

Inside small groups, a kind of mutual mentorship establishes itself as business owners swap stories, advice, experiences, and resources while operating according to the concept of radical generosity.

“It’s not the organizers that are making the value,” said Parker. “It’s like the participants that are actually showing up to one another by virtue of having shown something vulnerable and doing something wonderful…the idea of radical generosity is not only to receive but also offer your vulnerability to the group so that other people can feel less alone.”

REC gatherings are also intentionally sober. By decentering alcohol from the gathering, they prioritize encouraging participants to be centred and self-assured. “It’s actually hard to wrap up these events because there’s so much heartfelt connection,” said Jarren.

Rainbow Entrepreneur Collective’s Future

Now that REC is a big part of their lives, Parker and Jarren say they feel less lonely and more connected in their business.

“We feel a lot more connected with the people around us,” said Jarren. “We learn over and over and over again that the relational way of doing business is much more fulfilling,” he said.

“As business owners, we’re doing this off the side of our desks,” said Parker. “We need a community around us as entrepreneurs. It’s so lonely when we don’t notice the stuff we have in common with other people,” he said.

REC is just getting started. In the future, REC could explore gatherings in other parts of the province and potentially online. Since 2SLGBTQIA+ business owners are everywhere in the province, and not just in Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna, online gatherings could increase access for business owners.

“We take access really seriously,” said Parker. “REC events are free for attendees, as they are supported through sponsorship, and we always want to be as open door as possible to the people that we’re trying to serve,” he said. “There’s a spirit of emotional connection in REC – if someone felt less lonely for a couple of hours and they felt like they were connected, for me, that’s the payoff.”

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