OUR STORY
Why I Built Gladys
My name is Tiffany, and I'm the founder of Gladys. After 15+ years in tech — and too many nights wishing for a space where Black queer women and Black trans femmes could just be — I decided to create one. Gladys is named after my grandmother, a Black woman from Mississippi whose home was my first safe space.
Like my grandmother, Bed-Stuy has held me, taught me, and reminded me that — as Nikki Giovanni said —
"Black love is Black wealth."
Opening Gladys is how I plan to give back: by creating a space that honors this neighborhood's rich legacy while offering something new for the next generation — grounded in beauty, brilliance, and belonging.
At Gladys, we'll celebrate the fullness of Black queer life — through books, wine, and intentional programming. Whether you come to read, rest, organize, flirt, or just be, you'll know you're exactly where you belong.
MEET OUR TEAM
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Chandra Kelly (she/her) is a Brooklyn-born Licensed Esthetician and our operations lead who believes deeply that dykes deserve care. She creates affirming spaces where queer, trans, and non-binary folks feel seen and celebrated, treating skincare as both self-love and self-preservation. Her dedication to inclusive wellness and community care shapes how we show up for each other daily.
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Rae Leece (she/her) is an illustrator and fantasy writer who crafts stories of wonder and escape through multiple mediums. She creates space for Black queer joy by organizing online gaming events and TTRPGs, believing that Black queer people deserve to feel safe enough to genuinely laugh and be silly. Her thoughtful craft practice illustrates a world that's both terrifying and beautiful, with play at its center.
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Kenny Williamson (they/them) is our resident barista, poet, and coordinator of queer happenings across New York. Known for their vintage floral dresses and love of pasta and sad lesbian music, Kenny brings both coffee expertise and literary performance to our space. They're the auntie energy we all need, crafting perfect pours while sharing verses.
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Sydney (she/they) is our resident creative curator, athlete, and birth-doula-in-training who brings a playful spirit to everything they touch. A Brooklyn transplant with roots spreading through children's books and imagination, Sydney weaves their lineage of love into creating beauty in unexpected places. You'll often find them with a tiny hand in theirs and a question sparked by their latest curiosity.
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Taj-Levi Abdul (he/hymn) is an agender wordsmith and diviner from Baltimore who practices mundane alchemy through literature, mixology, and medicine making. He delights in transmutation - reshaping what it means to fortify and soften Black queer and trans lives through eclectic whimsy. His oracle practice and food crafting bring unexpected magic to our everyday gatherings.
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Janicia Francis (she/they/NOT a lady) is a Bronx-born cultural critic and podcast producer who explores race, class, and sexuality through a queer Black femme lens. Creator of Tea with Queen and J., they've produced shows with Kirk Franklin, Sony, and Spotify while facilitating the dismantling of systems of oppression. Their storytelling brings critical conversations to our space with accessibility and sharp wit.
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Cynthia Francillon (she/her) is a Brooklyn writer and creative producer whose work explores the boundaries between imagination and the romantic pursuit of self. Her Haitian-American heritage and Black queer womanhood inform her approach to film, audio narratives, and prose that celebrate tender self-actualization. Catch her painting, people watching, or carefully catching up on albums in our corners.
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Cheyenne Edwards (they/she) is a Brooklyn-born screenwriter, filmmaker, and essayist who puts Black lesbian characters in audacious situations with sharp, ironic humor. They subvert trauma narratives and respectability politics, instead telling provocative stories about identity, love, and morality through a Black queer lens. Their debut comedy short "A Duel Between D*kes" is in pre-production, and their essays appear in Ebony Tomatoes Collective.
