How LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs feel about Sacramento

Happy Friday, LinkedIn community. Hope your workweek went well.

Maybe you've seen a rainbow-themed promotion at your favorite local business in recent weeks. June is Pride month, which marks the resilience, vibrancy and accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community.

But Pride can be complex.

"Pride has now become an entire month of celebrations as the business of Pride means money, and lots of it. It seems that every corporation wants to celebrate Pride and ask for the queer dollar at least once a year," writes Fred Palmer , executive director of the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce , in a guest column for the Business Journal.

That column appears online and in our latest print edition, which explores the business of Pride. For that issue, Associate Editor Lindsay Oxford also interviewed several local LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.

Among her questions: Is Sacramento a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ businesses? Read the answers with the links below.

• Tim Kerbavaz, Talon Audio Visual
• Alysicia and Liam Lundberg, Pandora Blueberries/Weirdo Farm
• Allison Daack, Daack Pack Dog Training
• David Cabral and Gerardo Cabral, Ghost Ink
• Joshua Novello, Novello Studio

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Sac State plans staff/faculty housing project

Next summer, California State University-Sacramento will be opening "dorms" for people who won't be taking a single class, but might be teaching them.

Nine Ten Place, at 910 University Ave., will be the first dedicated housing for university faculty and staff, with 30 units in a new three-story project.

It's part of an effort to solve the shortage of affordable housing for Sac State faculty and staff. Learn more about the project in this article by Senior Reporter Ben van der Meer .

Speaking of higher education ...

Reporter Emily Hamann recently interviewed Dr. Lisa Cardoza , the incoming president of American River College .

Cardoza, who previously held a number of roles at Sac State, knows firsthand some of the things that can get in the way of a student going to college. She also knows what it takes to go to college and succeed anyway. Read more

Downtown Commons retailer closing

Local fashion retailer Identity Boutique is closing its store in Sacramento's Downtown Commons, which opened in 2019. The business will transition?to a hybrid model out of its main warehouse, operators wrote in a social media announcement.

In an email to the Business Journal, one of the store's owners cited declining foot traffic in Downtown Sacramento as a primary reason for the closure. Read more

Your weekly restaurant roundup

Attention, local foodies: Don't miss these recent stories by reporter Jacob Abbott .

First: A fast-casual hibachi restaurant is replacing a chicken eatery in Folsom's Broadstone Marketplace. Read more

Also: Florida-based Island Fin Poke Company is entering the Sacramento market with a Delta Shores location. Read more

Also: A restaurant space that was being converted into a Mexican market by the owners of Midtown's Cantina Alley has been placed on the market for lease. Read more

Also: Umai Savory Hot Dogs, a fast-casual franchise specializing in hot dogs with unique toppings, is nearing an opening at Elk Grove's Laguna Promenade. This will be the third time the chain has entered the local market. Read more

Thanks for reading our Weekly Edition, which was compiled by Managing Editor?Sonya Sorich . Send feedback and news tips to [email protected].