At Kiva, Pride Month is a time to celebrate the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of LGBTQ+ individuals who are making their mark through innovative businesses. These business owners are overcoming obstacles and creating lasting change in their communities, demonstrating that access to financial resources can help bring their visions to life. Kiva is proud to play a role in this transformation, connecting LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs with the capital they need to grow and succeed.
In collaboration with Tripadvisor Foundation, Kiva is thrilled to support a special initiative for Pride Month, amplifying the impact of every loan made to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. By encouraging their customer base to donate to a fund specifically for LGBTQ+ loan support and matching each contribution, the Tripadvisor Foundation is strengthening the financial opportunities available to these business owners, helping expand and launch businesses that enhance local communities.
Dirty T Tamarindo: Turning spicy candy into sweet success
In Tucson, Arizona, Dirty T Tamarindo stands out not just for its delicious, spicy candies, but for its founder’s commitment to creating a space where people of diverse identities can feel seen and heard. Alana Solis, a proud LGBTQ+ and Latina business owner, started Dirty T Tamarindo in 2022 to share her family’s authentic Mexican candy recipes with her community.
Dirty T Tamarindo’s key ingredient is chamoy, a recipe that has lived in Alana’s family for generations. Chamoy is a red, rich, flavorful blend of chiles, fruits, and spices, used to coat candies to offer an intoxicating blend of spicy and sweetness. But Alana’s story is about more than just selling candy—it’s about creating a space where people from all backgrounds can thrive.
Alana spent over a decade in the service industry before deciding to start her own business to gain the flexibility to care for her mother and nephew. But beyond the practical need for a flexible schedule, Alana’s vision was clear: she wanted to blaze a path and pass her knowledge to fellow LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color, expanding representation in an industry that traditionally lacks diversity.
Since launching three years ago, Dirty T Tamarindo has grown rapidly, expanding to over 80 stores across Arizona. With support from her Kiva loan, Alana is now poised to take the business nationwide, growing her online presence and bringing her unique brand of spicy candy to new markets. “I started this business to create a community where people can feel connected,” Alana says. “I want to give others a place to turn to for support, where they can feel seen and know that their experiences matter.”
Broadening financial options for underserved entrepreneurs
At Kiva, we believe that financial access is key to building strong, thriving local economies. Systemically marginalized business owners, including LGBTQ+ individuals, often face greater challenges in accessing traditional forms of capital. Addressing this gap is essential, as small businesses drive local economic growth and revitalize often overlooked areas of local communities.
By reinvesting in their communities, entrepreneurs create jobs, offer unique products and services, and provide spaces where people of all backgrounds can feel welcome. When we help undeserved entrepreneurs succeed, we help create more vibrant and inclusive communities.
Kiva focuses on providing 0% interest loans to underserved business owners in the U.S. who have been traditionally excluded from financial systems. By offering accessible and flexible financial resources, Kiva helps remove the barriers that many entrepreneurs face, giving them the opportunity to build stable businesses that can thrive.
Celebrating LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs making an impact
Alana’s business is just one example of the many Kiva-backed entrepreneurs representing the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Business owners like Manny Lucero of Lucero Consulting Group are also making a significant difference in their communities.
Manny Lucero, the founder of Lucero Consulting Group, helps small businesses and nonprofits across the country with marketing, event planning, and consulting services. Manny’s dedication to helping others succeed stems from his belief that every business deserves a chance to thrive, no matter its background.
Lucero Consulting Group: Bridging the gap for small businesses
Manny Lucero’s journey with Kiva began long before Lucero Consulting Group (LCG) was founded. As a team that has worked with Kiva for 10 years in previous roles, Manny and his colleagues recognized the power of Kiva’s 0% interest loans in supporting the growth of small businesses and nonprofits across the country. When founding LCG in 2020, they knew that becoming a Kiva borrower would be a crucial resource to offer their clients, many of whom face systemic barriers to financial access.
“We decided to become Kiva borrowers ourselves, using the funding to support our early expansion efforts through hiring our first employee and purchasing equipment for our marketing services,” Manny says. “Kiva supported us at a pivotal time in our journey, just like we have seen it do for many others we work with.”
In 2025, LCG officially became a Kiva Trustee, allowing them to further elevate their support for small businesses and nonprofits by offering endorsements and in-depth training for Kiva borrowers. As Trustees, Manny and his team can guide borrowers as they begin their Kiva journey, helping them turn their funding into action.
With the rise of systemic obstacles facing underrepresented borrowers, Manny believes that access to funding like Kiva’s is even more critical. “Access to funding, especially funding like Kiva with 0% interest, will be more important now than in years prior. Our commitment is to continue helping our communities thrive, and we are grateful to have Kiva as a valuable tool in that endeavor.”
A Call to Action: How You Can Support LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs This Pride Month
This Pride Month, Kiva celebrates the stories of these inspiring entrepreneurs and many more who are making a positive impact in their communities. By partnering with Tripadvisor Foundation, Kiva is making it even easier for individuals to support LGBTQ+ business owners. Every contribution made to the Tripadvisor Foundation’s LGBTQ+ fund through Kiva is matched, doubling the impact of each contribution.
This Pride Month, let’s work together to help these incredible business owners grow and continue to create positive change. By supporting them, we’re helping to build a world where everyone has the chance to succeed.
