Queer Women We Love, Red Hot Entrepreneurs, Wonder Women

Workin’ It 2010

November 8, 2010 Cheryle Burke, Kat Long

Some chefs spend years in pricey culinary institutes trying to master natural foods. Deborah Gavito, proprietor of the snazzy NYC vegetarian restaurant Counter, learned the art of cooking with seasonal produce and edible weeds from her grandmothers. Gavito’s early fascination with natural cooking has grown into a long-time dedication to local and sustainable foods: her first venture, an all-natural baked goods business called Body & Soul, debuted in 1993. She sold her scrumptious treats at the Union Square Greenmarket, where she developed an appreciation for family farmers, and earned enough dough (pun intended) to open Counter in 2003. As Counter’s proprietor, Gavito designs fresh vegetarian fare, biodynamic wines and cleverly named organic vodka martinis (one is called “The Angry Lesbian”). “I waited on tables years and years ago, but other than that, I’ve only worked for myself,” Gavito says. “I don’t think I could take orders from any one else.”

45 of 2010’s Red Hot Entrepreneurs

Earlier this year, attorney Kathy Davis (she prefers just Davis) started her own law practice after several years at a larger firm. An entrepreneur at heart, Davis is also the president of the board of Twin Cities Quorum GLBT and Allied Business Community. “I was out from day one at my previous firm, and I think they liked the idea of bringing some diversity to a very white and straight place. I certainly dealt with prejudice and other issues, but decided to use my queerness to my benefit, and became involved with Quorum. That led to building the entire base of business that I brought to my own firm.” Being out in that environment also facilitated her entrepreneurial move, “In my yearly review for 2009 I was told that there was ‘just something different about me’ that made some partners wonder whether I’d be a good fit as a partner. I took that ‘something different,’ ran and never looked back.” Davis has since founded a second venture, Sexquire, which provides legal and financial consulting to sex-
positive businesses and individuals.