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Sink, swim, succeed
Updated On: 18 February, 2024 07:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Arpika Bhosale
Queer entrepreneurs in India put up a resilient front in the face of bias and challenges. At the third edition of the Humsafar Trust’s initiative to nurture their dreams, they learn the tricks of the trade and find community
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Ashly Nelson, 33, in his room that doubles up as a studio space. Nelson is one among 15 recipients of the Humsafar Trust grants under the Dolphin Tank project. Pic/Satej Shinde
I’m a bit nervous. Please encourage me, na!” Ashly Nelson asks of a crowd of 20 who have assembled at Hotel Ajanta. The 33-year-old, who graduated with a fashion degree from Mod’ Art International, has run his label ashco.store on Instagram since 2018. The claps and giggles he gets from the audience—fellow queer individuals and entrepreneurs—gives us a glimpse into the ethos of Dolphin Tank, a contrasting spin-off to its more cut-throat reality TV counterpart. If you swim in the waters here, you get the support and freedom you need to grow and play—much like a dolphin would in the ocean.
The third edition of this initiative by Humsafar Trust, held on February 14 and 15, saw over a dozen queer business owners from across the country come together with elevator pitches for their ventures. They were shortlisted from among 105 applicants—picked because of the uniqueness of their business idea and their established brand (no matter how small).
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