HiR Transcenders: Helping Trans Business People Succeed

They call it Shark Tank meets RuPaul’s Drag Race. What follows is a press release from a new investment fund and business accelerator for transgender and non-binary entrepreneurs called HiR Transcenders.

On 30th October, HiR Transcenders launched a $250,000 investment fund and business accelerator for transgender and non-binary people. 

Nadia McCullough is a transgender woman and co-founder of HiR Transcenders. She says “When I transitioned at the age of 23, it felt that for transgender women like me, the only career options were performing or sex work. I started escorting because that’s what other transwomen did where I was. They taught me how to find clients, price my services and make money. That’s how I became financially independent and at first it was great: I could work when I wanted, I made good money and I traveled all over the USA. But after 7 years, I got depressed and worried I would die escorting. The worst part was not being able to tell my family how I was making a living. If the transwomen around me had been running tech companies, my life would have been very different. I am now building an investment fund for transgender and non binary entrepreneurs because I want to give the next generation the opportunity to grow businesses they can be proud of. As a transwoman, I feel that too much attention is focused on our bodies and not enough on our brains: it is time to change the conversation and show the world that being gender non-conforming does not mean we are less capable of growing successful companies.”

HiR Transcender is like Shark Tank for transgender and non binary people. The business ideas with the most potential will be invited to pitch their business to investors and successful entrepreneurs will enroll into a 1 year intensive business accelerator program. The fund currently has 3 investors who have made a commitment of $250,000. The business education will be conducted by Noam Kostucki who has spoken on how to start your own business at prestigious institutions like Harvard university and the London School of Economics.

Noam says “I am passionate about helping people make money doing what they love. Over the past 15 years, I have helped over 25,000 people with making money and growing their organizations. From my experience, the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs are (1) the ability to reinvent themselves, (2) resilience and (3) the ability to sell. Transgender people unconsciously develop these skills through the process of transitioning. I spent most of my life in the closet, and today I am excited to prepare transgender and non-binary entrepreneurs through pitching for investment and then guide them to grow their business exponentially. We are paving the way for the next generation of transgender and non-binary people. The more businesses are run by gender non-conforming people, the more work opportunities there will be for those of us who are outside of the socially accepted norms.”

As transgenders and queers, if we don’t want to be erased, we need to come together more than ever. The National Transgender Discrimination Survey of 2011 says that over 90% of transgender people have been harassed at work, and that they are 4 times more likely to live in poverty (earning less than $10,000 a year). Things could get a lot worse, and that’s why we have to act now. Nadia McCullough and Noam Kostucki, co-founders of HiR Transcenders, believe that entrepreneurship is a major solution for the queer community to become safe, financially independent and thrive.

HiR Transcenders accepts applications from transgender and non binary people from all over the world. If you are transgender or non binary and have an existing business or an idea for a new businesses, submit your application online.

HiR Transcenders is also continuously looking for investors and partners who want to grow transgender and non binary entrepreneurs. If you want to invest in transgender and non binary entrepreneurs, or if your company wants to become a partner, contact HiR Transcenders.

Tags: business, Transgender

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