Celebrating Pride 2025 with stories from queer-owned businesses

Pride Month is a time to celebrate, honour and uplift the LGBTQ+ community in London and beyond.

Each June, the city bursts into colour with street parades, concerts, exhibitions and workshops that champion diversity, acceptance and solidarity.

From Soho to South Bank, queer culture takes centre stage with events that reflect both the triumphs and ongoing challenges of the community.

Want to get involved? From volunteering with Pride in London to discovering LGBTQ+ support groups in your borough, there are countless ways to take part – whether you're marching in the parade or amplifying voices online.

Check out Pride in London and LGBT Foundation for resources and ways to join in.

Grow London Local: queer business networking event

If you're a queer entrepreneur, self-employed or a small business owner wanting to build meaningful business connections, Grow London Local runs a quarterly queer business networking event.

These events are a refreshing alternative to traditional networking and everyone is welcome to join – even if you're normally shy at first!

Upcoming Pride events in London

Here are a few highlights for your calendar:

• Pride in London Parade – Saturday 5 July 2025.

• As One In The Park – London's biggest LGBTQ+ day festival, taking place on Saturday 19 July 2025.

• Trafalgar Square Concerts – Throughout June and into the summer, featuring LGBTQ+ musicians and drag acts.

• Deptford Flower Market (Saturdays) – A celebration of queer joy and sustainable floristry.

• Fruit Salad Events Collective – A new queer events alliance with meet-ups throughout June.

Meet the queer entrepreneurs we've supported

Ru (he/they), Where Have All The Flowers Gone? 

Website: wherehavealltheflowersgone.co.uk

Instagram: @wherehavealltheflowers

What they do: queer punk floristry with a love for bold blooms and sustainable flower farming.

Q&A with Ru

If you were starting a business today, what would you do differently?

I'd build in more support for me and my partner so we can rest and have time away from the business. Team members, doing less better and trying not to say yes to everything!

Darya from Grow London Local has really helped us put things in perspective. Grow London Local run an amazing queer business networking event – not your usual suit-wearing business networking meet-up, but more informal, collegiate and supportive.

That gave us a lot of confidence in our new venture and an introduction to a friendly peer-support network which felt really nice to be part of.

What would you say to your younger self?

Get out of your comfort zone and try new things. If someone had told me as a kid that I could be a florist, it wouldn't have taken this long to find my calling.

What's driving you this year? What are you most excited about?

This year, my partner Stu and I started Deptford Flower Market, a queer-run inclusive celebration of everyday joy, colour and flowers.

Every Saturday from 9am to 4pm, a diverse and ever-changing range of stalls will be selling everything from flowers to LGBTQ+ books.

We love showing off our sustainable flower artworks on an original 1960s milk float. We hope to provide a space for queer, local and underrepresented people to sell their wares in a safe space and help new businesses try out ideas.

Jen Greenhalgh (she/her), Two Dogs

Instagram: @twodogsldn

What they do: American comfort food with a British twist – plus inclusive event catering and consulting.

Q&A with Jen

If you were starting a business today, what would you do differently?

I'd probably have done it sooner and stopped doubting myself. I was ready to work for myself a good whole before I finally took the leap.

What would you say to your younger self?

You can do this. Try not to care too much about other people's views and opinions of you, and forge your own path. Don't spend so much time being a people pleaser.

What's driving you this year? What are you most excited about?

I'm really excited to get our unique and super tasty sauces out there with more retailers and customers.

Our Nashville Hot Chilli Crisp was featured in a Pride hamper last year, and this year I want to develop this even further and get it onto shelves nationwide.

Getting people to try it and seeing their reaction drives me, as it shows me that we're on the right path.

What's your advice for other queer/LGBTQ+ founders looking for business support?

Don't be afraid to ask. Grow London Local introduced me to so many people who have shared wisdom and advice.

Talking to others can really clear your head and help you see the path ahead.

Just get out there and meet other entrepreneurs, no matter what industry they're in. You can always learn something and make a friend!

Kim Fionn (they/them), A Whole Orange

Website: linktr.ee/awholeorange

Instagram: @awholeorange.matchmaking

What they do: in-person LGBTQ+ matchmaking events and workshops.

Q&A with Kim

If you were starting a business today, what would you do differently?

It would've been nice not to overwork myself so much so many times. But really I just needed to learn that first-hand.

I'm actually able to properly value my time and effort and work now. And I would have bought a different podcasting mic!

What would you say to your younger self?

It's really cheesy and overdone but something along the lines of "Don't worry, you've got this, you can withstand the dramas of life.

"You're never too young or too old or too awkward to achieve what you want to achieve – it's not on you, it's in you". It's pretty nice to hear that now, actually.

What's driving you this year? What are you most excited about?

I'm so excited about the Queer IRL campaign to encourage queer singles/ready-to-mingles to get off dating apps and meet at the multitude of LGBTQ+ events put on by our wonderful community.

I've organised a collective of event organisers who put on events where you can meet new people more easily – the Fruit Salad Events Collective.

I'm so excited for all the queer babes to meet each other and all the organisers to have a less stressful June than last year.

What's your advice for other queer/LGBTQ+ founders looking for business support?

Grow London Local is wonderful, especially the queer business networking event they run. Because that leads on to my biggest tip – find a community.

Find other people doing what you do, or doing a project that relates to what you do. Community over competition! There's room for us all, and we all benefit from each other's existence.

Camille Marie Bieber (she/they), freelance brand photographer

Website: camillemariebieber.com

Instagram: @camillemariebieber

What they do: dreamy, nature-inspired photography for conscious brands and holistic entrepreneurs.

Q&A with Camille

If you were starting a business today, what would you do differently?

I'd study something useful like business instead of a photography degree! I'm sort of joking but not really.

I built my business out of thin air as a migrant and in a completely different language. I had no idea where to start, what to do – I was hoping to be discovered.

I had none of the codes one can learn through a corporate job or even a standard university degree. I had to fight so hard to get to where I am now and it was so difficult. It was like learning how to speak again.

What would you say to your younger self?

• That life gets brighter and bigger, and it's worth chasing a dream even if nobody but you believes in it.

• That we learn to smile and express ourselves, and we surround ourselves with the most beautiful chosen family we could ever have imagined.

• That we can challenge what we believe is true, and that reality finally turns out to be better than what we daydream about.

What's driving you this year? What are you most excited about?

I'm working on a bunch of incredible projects with amazing founders and I'm excited to scale up my business.

Projects range from a homeschool for neurodivergent kids, vegan retreat leader and venue in Italy, yoga mat brands championing illustrators around the world…

I'm also co-leading a yoga and community event for queer people with my friend David Steer, where we usually raise money for the charity Metro. I'm looking forward to developing this together.

What's your advice for other queer/LGBTQ+ founders looking for business support?

Surround yourself with a loving and caring community. My community is the backbone of my business, without which I couldn't have been where I am today. People grow and evolve with you and you learn together.

Chris McLoughlin (he/him), self-employed financial planner

LinkedIn: Chris McLoughlin

What they do: personal financial planning for people who don't know where to start.

Q&A with Chris

If you were starting a business today, what would you do differently?

I started my business last year, so I don't yet have enough perspective to say!

What would you say to your younger self?

First, don't worry so much about speaking up, showing your personality and standing out from the crowd. Blending in won't do you any favours, in your personal life or professionally.

Second, don't wait as long before you make the change from being employed to being your own boss. Having control over where you work, when you work, who you work with and the values that you won't compromise on is so empowering.

What's driving you this year? What are you most excited about?

I tend to work with clients one-to-one, but this year I'm really excited about expanding the range of people I can help by talking about financial education and financial wellbeing in group settings, in partnership with schools, businesses and other organisations.

I'll be delivering in-person and online education sessions with students, freelancers, aspiring musicians and hopefully other groups as the year goes on.

What's your advice for other queer/LGBTQ+ founders looking for business support?

If you're based in London, the first thing you should do is speak with one of the Business Support Managers at Grow London Local to get no-cost support!

I do think it's really important to build relationships with other LGBTQ+ business owners, like through the queer business networking event that Grow London Local runs every quarter. It's great to be able to share problems, experiences and advice.

Dan Bramfitt (he/him), Dan Bramfitt Creative: Tattoo & Design

Website: danbramfitt.com

Instagram: @___dan_bramfitt

What they do: tattoo artist, designer and visual creative fusing bold modern aesthetics with typographic art, co-design and collaboration.

Q&A with Dan

If you were starting a business today, what would you do differently?

Make a plan. I used to hate it when people told me to make a business plan – my response was mostly, "I'm an artist, I don't need a business plan".

I got somewhere without one, but it probably would've been easier if I'd had some structure or stability.

Having a plan gives you something to review when you're feeling stuck. It's an anchor you can return to for guidance or inspiration, and it's always evolving.

Having some initial discipline as well as big ideas will likely help you to grow much faster than without one.

Oh, and be careful with the cash – it goes much faster than you can make it!

What would you say to your younger self?

Slow down and take everything in. There are opportunities around you to learn, grow and discover what you're missing because you're trying to move too fast.

When people offer you help or guidance, they're not criticising you or calling you a failure. They see something in you they feel they can help with, or want to collaborate on.

What's driving you this year? What are you most excited about?

This year, I've been really focused on expanding my visual artwork and design portfolio, expanding my audience and figuring out how my practice(s) can evolve and blend together.

I've been tattooing for around six years. I felt I'd hit a bit of a wall and that it was time to push myself into new directions and spaces – which is important for all creatives I think.

I started a Master's in September too which has adjusted my viewpoints and widened my field of references.

I know traditional education isn't for everyone – it's been quite an adjustment for me too – but it feels nourishing to learn, research and have challenging conversations around graphic design.

What's your advice for other queer/LGBTQ+ founders looking for business support?

Have conversations and find a supportive community and network. Some of the most useful and interesting help I've found has been from people in different lanes or industries to myself.

The world is more than a digital platform and an in-person energy exchange is such a valuable experience, so get out there and go to events!

You probably already know what you need to do to grow your business and how to get there. You might just need a bit of guidance on a few details.

For a long time, I shied away from overtly labelling myself as a queer artist. I felt I was more than just my gayness, but also that I or my art weren't queer enough.

Everything we create as LGBTQ+ people is drenched in our lived experience and identity – it's naturally inherently queer.

I appreciate this isn't super easy for everyone, but owning your identity will likely attract a wider audience to your business. And if it puts anyone off, you didn't want them as a customer anyway!

Fotis (he/him), The Rolling Scone 

Instagram: @chef_fotis

What they do: small-scale catering for events, specialising in British-Greek fusion treats and desserts.

Q&A with Fotios

If you were starting a business today, what would you do differently?

I'm still in the early stages, but I've learned that stepping outside your comfort zone is essential.

It hasn't been long since I started my business. However, it's really useful to not forget to take (calculated) risks and step out of your comfort zone. Most of the time, the reality may be different from what we imagine.

What would you say to your younger self?

Three things:

• Try as many things as possible. This is a sure-proof method to discover what we like and what we don't like and, ultimately, make wiser decisions.

• Be willing to fail. Because failing isn't the end of the world – it's just feedback that we need to take into account to become better!

• Break down any goal (personal or professional) as far as possible, so you can make progress. This will improve discipline and persistence, which are essential to achieving anything in life.

What's driving you this year? What are you most excited about?

I'm very excited about my collaboration with The Greek Pot. I'll be making the desserts for their catering menu.

Last week, we had the photoshoot of the menu and it went really good! Will upload photos on social soon!

What's your advice for other queer/LGBTQ+ founders looking for business support?

Get a business coach (if you can afford it) and sign up for networking events like the one Grow London Local organises.

It's a great way to meet like-minded people and realise that there's a community out there that can help you with business problems.

How to get involved

Interested in business support tailored to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs? Find everything Grow London Local has to offer – from one-to-one advice and funding guidance to inclusive meet-ups and workshops.

Explore the support on Grow London Local today. Let's build a more inclusive business community – together.

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