Ideation Team
Who we are and what this project means to us
Richard-Allen Foster, AIA
Founder | Architect, Creative Entrepreneur
In late 2019, I came out as gay in my mid-40’s. After years of internal struggle, I thought I had done the hard part and would now be welcomed into that gay and LGBTQ community that I had always heard about. But we all know what happened in 2020. The world shut down and with everyone sheltered away, opportunities for connection to any sort of community were hard to find.
More than anything what I found was that I wasn’t alone in feeling disconnected. Difficulty in finding connection in the LGBTQ community was widespread and not just because of the pandemic. Seven percent of the population identifies as LGBTQ, but they are scattered across the globe leading many to face challenges in building meaningful connections.
That is where the idea for Q’mmunity came from. My hope is that this platform enables members of the queer community to feel more connected, regardless of whether they feel lonely or not. And for those that might live in rural or isolated areas, desperately in need of a life-line, well, I would hope this could provide that. If we can make a difference in even one person's life and prevent them from succumbing to suicide, I will be proud of what we have created.
Kris Verlé
Co-Founder | Life Coach & Executive Coach
Having been out as a gay man since my early twenties, I've had the privilege of making some incredible friendships along the way, either for a reason, a season or a lifetime – as the poem goes.
Yet, as I get older, I notice that my opportunities to meaningfully connect with others seem to have dwindled massively. Unfortunately, my desire to do so definitely hasn't! As a semi-nomadic remote worker, I've not had a solid local base for a long time, which also hasn't helped with making friends. Yes, it should be easy to meet new people when you're on the go, particularly as an extrovert. But then I always convince myself I never quite fit the mould of queer social life – or at least my interpretation of it.
Despite living in a hyper-connected world, it's clear I'm not the only one experiencing this sense of 'aloneness'. Indeed, as a professional life coach, I talk to LGBTQ+ folks daily who express that same desire for joyful comradery, innocent fun and making a difference in our community. So rather than sit back and despair, let's see if we can come up with a solution that makes it easier for myself and others to find that welcoming home and build a friendship circle.
