Hello! My name is Ashley LaRue, and I am a creative & entrepreneur from New Haven, CT.

For the last three years, I've been operating Qommunity - a small arts organization that curates events and contests centered on the queer arts community. It is my dream for Qommunity to be my full-time job - I truly believe this is the work I am meant to do. Operating Qommunity has been my side-hustle for some time, but I would appreciate the chance to focus on it and acquire some resources (apply to grants, find investors, sell merchandise, create content, flip money) without the pressure of bills - just for a little while. It's a big ask, I know. I want to take a chance, but I need your help. I'm committed to creating safer spaces for queer artists and entrepreneurs and would appreciate your support in building Qommunity to what I know it can be.

About Qommunity

Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Qommunity is a platform and incubator that celebrates art, cultivates healing projects, and encourages fellowship among and within the local queer community and throughout the tri-state area.

Qommunity seeks to design and support projects and facilitate opportunities for creative engagement. We encourage curiosity, action and awareness toward social issues that impact the most marginalized among us (i.e., people of color, queer and trans people, people with disabilities and others). We support black and brown queer creatives who also tend to the community that they live in.

What we’ve done so far has been made possible through community support through donations and online/in-person sales of Qommunity’s original merchandise.

Qommunity invites collaborations with emerging artists to create content and merchandise and produce contests and events that empower our local and expanding community.

You can see some of Qommunity's projects on our Instagram (qommunity ) or by visiting our website.

Thank you so much for hearing me out! I hope you share this with people who might be interested in supporting the work that Qommunity does. I appreciate the support that we have already received and that we continue to receive.