LGBTQ Allies: Fierce & Kind & Full of Purpose – How Cyndi Smith and Basem Harb Are Pouring Community into Every Bottle
By Cesar A Reyes
By the time you sit down with Cyndi Smith and Basem Harb, it becomes clear that the story of Fierce & Kind Spirits isn’t really about alcohol at all: it’s about intention. It’s about what happens when two people decide that a bottle can be more than a product; it can be an invitation, a bridge, a gesture of solidarity for communities that have endured hardship and discrimination.
Both founders came to this world from tech and edtech, industries known for innovation but not necessarily for soul. They carried the analytics and ambition with them, yes, but what they built with Fierce & Kind is something more human. “We launched F&K as a communal adult beverage brand,” they explain, “to bring people together in the spirit of philanthropic work to uplift communities that have experienced hardship or discrimination.” The goal was never to take up shelf space. The goal was to take up meaningful space.
Basem’s roots in San Diego run deep—he arrived in 1979 and went on to build four businesses here. Cyndi’s arrival was far less scripted; she flew in right before the pandemic for a “trial visit” and simply never left. Fierce & Kind is her first entrepreneurial venture, though she carries herself like someone who has spent her life preparing for this exact intersection of purpose and craft.
One of the most defining elements of the company is their commitment to give back structurally, not symbolically. They direct 25% of profits to The Fierce & Kind Equity Foundation, a nonprofit arm designed to redistribute resources into communities that have historically been left out or left behind. During Pride, proceeds from their special Pride Collection—including the boldly named Straight Gay Bourbon—go directly to LGBTQ organizations.
Their connection to the LGBTQ community is not a recent pivot. It’s personal. “Social justice work is at the core of our personal lives,” they say, and the sincerity in that statement lands immediately. “We both have family and friends who are LGBTQ+, so our connection with this specific community is very personal, and our commitment to this broad relationship is inspired by them.” Through their foundation, they’ve supported The San Diego LGBT Community Center, Black Pride, Festival of Trees, Diversionary Theatre, The OC LGBT Center, and wayOUT LA. These are not casual partnerships; they’re relationships formed from presence and accountability.
When asked how the wider community can support that work, their answer is grounded and accessible. You don’t need a gala ticket or a philanthropic title, you can simply choose what you order at the bar. “Call an F&K vodka/soda, an F&K espresso martini, or an F&K old fashioned,” they suggest. Their bottles are widely available—Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions, Whole Foods, Total Wine, BevMo, independent shops, beloved Hillcrest restaurants like Gossip Grill, Baja Betty’s, The Rail, and La Vecindad. “When people support Fierce & Kind,” they promise, “they’re directly giving back to their own communities.”
The conversation turns deeper when they talk about allyship. Their definition is refreshingly free of buzzwords. “Being an ally means standing up in whatever manner the community needs us to,” they say. “It means advocating for, contributing to, and taking direct action in lifting the community up and building a culture of equality.” The words carry weight because they speak from lived parallels. As founders from minority and women-led backgrounds, they are no strangers to the realities of discrimination. Such personal history sharpens their understanding of interconnected justice. “What we’ve learned,” they continue, “is that all of our struggles are intertwined.” Supporting the LGBTQ community is not a separate cause, it is woven into a larger fabric of equity and dignity.
Near the end of our conversation, I asked them for a word that captures what they hope people feel when they encounter their brand. They offered two—Fierce and Kind—the same two that make up their name. The inspiration came from Maya Angelou, whose words they carry like a compass: “Continue. Be loving and be strong. Be fierce and be kind. And don’t give in and don’t give up.” For Basem and Cyndi, those words are not merely poetic, they are operational. “To build a consumer brand in a heavily competitive market and alongside it a foundation that fights for opportunity and equity,” they say, “we feel we must be both fierce and kind—fierce in our determination and grit to effect positive change and kind in how we approach and take care of our communities.”
And so Fierce & Kind emerges as more than a spirits company. It is a testament to what can happen when craftsmanship meets conscience, when allyship becomes daily practice, and when two founders decide that the impact of a bottle should linger long after the last pour.