Veronica Kirin is many things: anthropologist, author, serial entrepreneur. This past year, she created “Stories of COVID,” an ethnographic (story-based) study that documents the pandemic in real time through worldwide interviews and follows her award-winning book, “Stories of Elders.” But though she wears many hats, Kirin identifies strongly as a socially conscious entrepreneur. Her entrepreneurial career began after she was laid off from a corporate position following a buy-out, and she “swore to never again put my livelihood in the fickle hands of someone who cared only about the bottom line.” She hasn’t looked back since. Owning a business, she believes, offers freedom from the discrimination that often leads to unfair job loss. She shares these ideals by teaching small business owners about the power of their own finances, which they can leverage to fight imposter syndrome, work against discriminatory practices in the workplace, and create job spaces for LGBTQ+ professionals. Kirin has been featured on BEQ’s 40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40, has presented her research on the TEDx stage, and was recently recognized by Forbes as a NEXT 1000 honoree. “Entrepreneurship spells freedom, empowerment, voice, and leverage for our community,” she tells GO. “It gives our community the power to say no to bigots, to leverage finances against outdated discriminatory practices, and creates the flexibility to choose how to invest their talents, all without the dangerous repercussions of being fired for who we love. That is the future I want for us.” —NT
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