Fourth-Wave Painting

Hello! My name is Joanna and I am a painting entrepreneur and current gender studies student based in Vancouver, BC. 

I have been painting houses for the last year and recently had an opportunity to learn all about starting my own painting franchise through a well-known business. After hoping to spend the whole summer working with this business, my plans quickly changed after the first weekend training session conference. I was the only female attending this entire conference. As a queer woman, I felt extremely outnumbered. All of my gender studies lessons I had been learning in university were materializing in front of me.

This weekend left me thinking a lot about the primarily male dominated industry of both painting and entrepreneurship with little room for non-male identified people. I felt driven to make a change when I thought about all of the queer people and women that are wanting to join the painting industry but feel like there is no safe space for them to do so. 

After much inspiration, I have started to put together a painting business that creates a safe environment for LGBTQ+ individuals and women to participate in the painting industry. When hiring painters, I will be giving priority to people who have felt unsafe to be their full selves in other work environments. My goal is to go against the grain of male exclusivity while still providing a professional painting service to customers around Vancouver. Furthermore, I am hoping to give back through regular profit donations to local LGBTQ+ charities in Vancouver.

While it doesn't cost a lot for a painting business startup, there are some fees involved. This includes things like painting and marketing materials, liability insurance, and other business bookkeeping costs.

I am hoping to get this business started for the beginning of May 2020 and funding as soon as possible could help me get going on marketing to get my business name out there. I cannot tell you just how grateful I am to everyone that can donate to this campaign. Your money would not only support me, but other marginalized people that have a hard time finding safe spaces to work where they feel they can truly be themselves. 

Even if you cannot afford to donate anything of monetary value, your good vibes and/or sharing this with your friends would go a very long way! 

Thank you for supporting this forward-thinking business idea!