Announcing the 2026 Incubator program!
The ORPIB Foundation Incubator Program is back for 2026! This program brings LGBTQIA+ founders from idea stage to launch, with support at every step of the way. Our goal is to support the success of queer founders throughout the region by fostering sustainable, growth-oriented businesses.
The Incubator serves 2-4 startups a year and, with the help of regional experts, guides founders through 4 essential milestones over the course of 9 months.
We have built the 2026 Incubator curriculum to emphasize flexibility and targeted mentorship. This is in response to the shifting business landscape, as well as a desire to support a broader variety of business owners with intersectional experiences (rural, BIPOC, gender minorities, etc.). This year’s program also offers the opportunity for founders to support each other in a cohort format, expanding the pool of support even more. We have learned that each founder thrives when they have support navigating their unique challenges and opportunities. To build this support network even further, Incubator participants will also be able to participate in the Mentorship program.
Our Incubator is distinct from others in the ecosystem in both its structure and its core values:
Visibility: bringing underrepresented entrepreneurs and businesses forward in the public eye
Equity: creating opportunities and resources for all BIPOC, queer, rural & urban
Economic impact: strengthening the LGBTQIA+ community across Oregon & SW Washington
Safety: balancing open and accessible business while advancing both psychological & physical safety
Flexibility: responding to the changing circumstances various participants might encounter
Reflectivity: both driving to deliver and giving space to measure, reevaluate, and reconnect with community
We break the 9-month program into 4 stages:
Phase 1: Building a business model, including a business plan
Phase 2: Validating product-market fit and a go-to-market plan
Phase 3: Developing operational systems include business registration as an LLC, marketing strategy, operations manual/systems, financial & management systems
Phase 4: Budgeting & Financial planning including bootstrap, financing, and/or investment. Finalizing all aspects of the new business with a targeted launch date and launch strategy.
Success at each stage will be determined by the completion of key steps and objectives specific to that stage, and will be tailored to the type of business and its unique product/market. Key objectives will be set with each participant at the start of each session.
All materials are due Nov 30. Interested participants and volunteers are welcome to ask questions at any time by emailing incubator@orpib.com. There is no cost to participate in the Incubator. In fact, many start-up costs, such as LLC filing expenses, are covered by the generous supporters of the ORPIB Foundation.
There is no requirement that applicants or volunteers for the foundation are members of the ORPIB Chamber. Applications and volunteering are open to any members of the broader LGBTQIA2S community as well as allies with a personal or professional interest in supporting the mission of the foundation. We encourage you to share these opportunities with everyone you know!
Spoke & Word Bookstore,
Milwaukie, OR
Cierra Cook (they/them)
2023 Incubator Program Participant
Cierra Cook brought their business idea for Spoke & Word Bookstore to the Incubator Program in 2023. Cierra completed the program with a successful business launch on Saturday, October 21st, 2023 and they have remained robustly successful since.
The Incubator program provided them with general business coaching, marketing support and legal support including lease reviews and LLC filing expenses. Program volunteers provided consulting in the areas of marketing, sustainability, and financial management,as well as an executive sponsor who worked one-on-one with Cierra throughout the process. The program was also able to cover the cost of murals inside the store, to add to its unique feel. This year, they were named by The Oregonian’s Readers Choice Awards as one of the top five bookstores in the Portland area.
