Queer Crush Climbing
Queer Crush Climbing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2018 that operates free, queer-led rock climbing meetups across 31 chapters in the western US, serving 1,500 members through partner gyms, trauma-informed DEI workshops, and volunteer-driven community programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Queer Crush Climbing does
Queer Crush Climbing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in May 2018 in Los Angeles, California, that operates as a community-led climbing collective for LGBTQ+ individuals. The organization hosts free indoor and outdoor rock climbing meetups across 31 chapters primarily in the western United States, with active chapters in California, Colorado, and Vermont. As of the latest reported figures, Queer Crush serves approximately 1,500 members with support from 70 volunteers and has facilitated 472 meetups to date, with recent events nearing 100 participants each. The organization specifically serves queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of color of all abilities seeking safe and inclusive climbing environments.
The core offering consists of monthly meetups hosted at partner climbing gyms (including Movement, Touchstone, Sender One, Pacific Pipe, Dogpatch Boulders, Benchmark, Gravity Vault Marin, and others), augmented by trauma-informed DEI workshops led by climbers who are also mental health professionals, and an educational blog covering climbing gear and outdoor climbing guidance. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on community tools including Google Calendar, Facebook, Meetup.com, Substack for newsletters, and Discord for member engagement. Revenue is generated through donations via the GiveButter platform rather than membership fees, and the distribution model depends on partner gyms donating facility space.
Queer Crush's go-to-market motion is community-led growth, with volunteer captains hosting monthly meetups at partner gyms and expansion occurring through volunteer applications for new chapters or co-captain roles. Marketing channels include Instagram, Facebook, Discord, Substack newsletters, blog content, and earned media coverage in outlets such as LA Times and Bay Nature. Leadership transitioned in 2024, with Jay Louie elevated to Co-Founder and President alongside VP Juniper and Treasurer/Director of Operations Eric Chad Ho; co-founder Tyler Poston and former president Zoey Grinstead moved to alumni status. The organization reports 44 states currently without a Queer Crush chapter, framing substantial geographic expansion potential relative to its current footprint.
Queer Crush Climbing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Queer Crush Climbing
- Legal name
- Queer Crush Climbing
- Website
- https://queercrush.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Queer Crush Climbing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2018 that operates free, queer-led rock climbing meetups across 31 chapters in the western US, serving 1,500 members through partner gyms, trauma-informed DEI workshops, and volunteer-driven community programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Queer Crush Climbing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- LGBTQ+ Community Recreation Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rock Climbing, Via Ferrata & Mountaineering (THAJABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Climbing & Mountaineering Gyms/Guides (Indoor, Outdoor, Via Ferrata) (THAAAKAG)
Keywords
Where Queer Crush Climbing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices30 records
Markets served
Queer Crush Climbing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: 501(c)3 non-profit funded primarily through donations via GiveButter platform. Accepts volunteer contributions and community support.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Queer Crush Climbing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Queer Crush Climbing organizes free, volunteer-led indoor and outdoor rock climbing meetups at partner climbing gyms across 31 chapters primarily in the western United States, serving 1,500+ members. The organization complements meetups with trauma-informed DEI workshops, an educational blog, and a centralized calendar, all delivered through donated gym space and volunteer labor without membership fees.
Product overview
Queer Crush Climbing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates a community-focused meetup platform rather than a traditional software product. The core offering consists of regular indoor and outdoor rock climbing meetups hosted across 30+ chapters primarily in California and the western United States, with recent expansion to states like Colorado and Vermont. Supporting offerings include trauma-informed DEI workshops for the climbing community, educational blog content covering climbing gear, outdoor climbing guidance, and community-building resources. The organization serves approximately 1,500 members and has facilitated 472 meetups across 31 locations with support from 70 volunteers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Queer Crush Climbing Meetups Free, volunteer-led indoor and outdoor rock climbing meetups hosted monthly at partner climbing gyms across 31 chapters, serving approximately 1,500 members and frequently drawing close to 100 participants per event. Designed for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies seeking safe, inclusive climbing community.
- DEI Workshops
Quantifiable outcome
- 472 meetups hosted to date
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Queer Crush Climbing
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Queer Crush Climbing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Queer Crush Climbing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting partner, partner, core partner and expansion partner.
- Wondery (In Solidarity Project)supporting partnerCorporate sponsor supporting Queer Crush through the In Solidarity Project initiative. Wondery provides resources and support for the organization.
- Nice Queer PalspartnerCollaborative partner organization focused on queer community building. Nice Queer Pals aligns with Queer Crush's mission of creating inclusive spaces.
- Blue Granite Climbing Gymcore partnerPartner climbing gym that provides space for Queer Crush meetups. Blue Granite donates facility access to host community climbing events.
- G1 Climbing + Fitnesscore partnerColorado-based climbing gym partner hosting Queer Crush chapter meetups. Provides donated space for community events.
- Long Beach Risingcore partnerLong Beach-based partner gym hosting Queer Crush meetups. Donates space for community climbing events.
- Movement (Belmont, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Fountain Valley, San Francisco)core partnerMultiple Movement gym locations host Queer Crush chapters, providing donated space for meetups across the Bay Area and Southern California.
- Touchstone Climbing (LA Boulders, Hollywood Boulders, Berkeley Ironworks, Mission Cliffs, Verdigo, MetalMark, Diablo, The Post, Pipeworks)core partnerMajor Touchstone gym chain provides space for multiple Queer Crush chapters including LA Boulders, Hollywood Boulders, Berkeley Ironworks, and others across California.
- Sender One (LAX, Playa Vista, Santa Ana, Westwood, Lakewood)core partnerSender One gym locations host multiple Queer Crush chapters in Los Angeles area, providing donated space for community meetups.
- Pacific Pipecore partnerOakland-based climbing gym partner hosting Queer Crush meetups for East Bay community.
- Dogpatch Boulderscore partnerSan Francisco neighborhood climbing gym hosting Queer Crush chapter meetups.
- Benchmark Climbing (Berkeley, San Francisco)core partnerBenchmark gym locations host Queer Crush chapters in the Bay Area.
- Gravity Vault Marincore partnerMarin County climbing gym hosting Queer Crush chapter meetups.
- Great Western Power Companycore partnerOakland-based climbing gym hosting Queer Crush meetups for the East Bay queer climbing community.
- MetroRock Essexexpansion partnerVermont-based climbing gym hosting Queer Crush's New England expansion chapter.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Queer Crush Climbing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OutClimb: OutClimb is an LGBTQ+ climbing community that hosts meetups at gyms across multiple cities. It is a direct competitor for the same queer-climber audience with a comparable meetup-based, chapter-style operating model.
- Venture Out Project: Venture Out Project runs LGBTQ+ outdoor backpacking, hiking, and climbing trips led by queer guides. It is a direct peer in mission (queer-led outdoor community building) and delivery model (volunteer-led, partnership-driven programming).
- Brown Girls Climb: Brown Girls Climb is a climbing community for women and non-binary people of color, hosting meetups, festivals, and educational content. It is the closest direct peer to Queer Crush along the intersectional-identity + climbing-community axis, with a similar grassroots, volunteer-driven model.
Emerging players
- Melanin Base Camp: Melanin Base Camp is a media and community platform highlighting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the outdoors. It is an adjacent peer that targets a related identity-based audience in outdoor recreation but focuses on media/advocacy rather than in-person meetup infrastructure.
- Flash Foxy: Flash Foxy is a women's climbing community that ran the popular Women's Climbing Festival and curated climbing content. It is a relevant adjacent peer in women's climbing community building with overlapping audience and event-driven programming.
Broad incumbents
- The Mountaineers: The Mountaineers is a long-established Pacific Northwest outdoor club offering climbing, hiking, and skiing programming to a member base. It is a comparable membership-style outdoor recreation organization though much larger, older, and broader in scope.
- SheJumps: SheJumps is a non-profit increasing female participation in outdoor activities including climbing, skiing, and hiking. It is a comparable identity-based outdoor community organization with broader activity scope and larger national footprint.
- Outdoor Afro: Outdoor Afro is a national non-profit connecting Black communities to outdoor recreation and nature. It is a broader incumbent in the identity-based outdoor recreation space with national scale and a more generalist outdoor programming model.
Regional players
- ClimbAide: ClimbAide is a non-profit that provides adaptive climbing programs for people with disabilities. It is an adjacent peer in mission-aligned (accessibility + inclusion) climbing community building, with a narrower population focus.
Others
- GirlTrek: GirlTrek is the largest non-profit health organization for Black women and girls, organizing walking and community-based health activities. It is thematically relevant as a community-led, identity-based, volunteer-powered health/recreation movement with a similar grassroots operating model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Queer Crush Climbing social profiles
Digital presenceQueer Crush Climbing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Queer Crush Climbing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Queer Crush Climbing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Queer Crush Climbing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Queer Crush Climbing
What does Queer Crush Climbing do?
Queer Crush Climbing organizes free, volunteer-led indoor and outdoor rock climbing meetups at partner climbing gyms across 31 chapters primarily in the western United States, serving 1,500+ members. The organization complements meetups with trauma-informed DEI workshops, an educational blog, and a centralized calendar, all delivered through donated gym space and volunteer labor without membership fees.
Is Queer Crush Climbing a public or private company?
Queer Crush Climbing is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Queer Crush Climbing founded?
Queer Crush Climbing was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Queer Crush Climbing based?
Queer Crush Climbing is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Queer Crush Climbing make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Fundraising.
Who are Queer Crush Climbing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OutClimb, Venture Out Project and Brown Girls Climb. Emerging players are Melanin Base Camp and Flash Foxy. Broad incumbents are The Mountaineers, SheJumps and Outdoor Afro. ClimbAide is listed as a regional player. GirlTrek is listed as an others.
Does Queer Crush Climbing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Queer Crush Climbing.
What industry is Queer Crush Climbing in?
Queer Crush Climbing's product category is LGBTQ+ Community Recreation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJABAE, Rock Climbing, Via Ferrata & Mountaineering, with a secondary code of THAAAKAG, Climbing & Mountaineering Gyms/Guides (Indoor, Outdoor, Via Ferrata). Its NAICS code is 8134 and its SIC code is 7997.