Sam Pico: Finance Director

Please introduce yourself?
Hi, I am Sam Pico, a bilingual, latine entrepreneur and passionate community advocate. 

Tell us how a bit about yourself (where are you from, how did you end up in SD) what do you do for work?  
I was born in Mexico City, Mexico. I always knew I would end up in San Diego. I was drawn to the city for its rich cultural diversity and its thriving LGBTQ+ community.  I have contributed to the success of several Pride organizations along the way and I am proud to have served as a founding member of both Sacramento and Modesto Pride. I currently serve as volunteer lead for San Diego Pride. 

I am the owner of Prideful Financial and I serve as the Finance Director of Know Other Festival .

How did you become involve with the Know Other Festival?
I had a general awareness of the event through conversations with friends and social media. But I really connected with Know Other Festival at a networking event for LGBTQ+ professionals hosted by Out Pro. It was there that I knew I wanted to learn more about the opportunities to get involved with the community that was being built. 

The importance of a Festival like Know Other Festival?
The safe spaces and connections made at Know Other Festival are by far the most important to me. It’s the rare opportunity to connect with community and explore what healing means for you –  all at the same time. It’s particularly important to me because the event is all volunteer-led and ran. There is something truly special about being on a team so invested in the collective community space they are building together. The level of commitment is like nothing I have ever seen before.  

We are all very aware of the challenges facing our community in the current landscape. This space for healing has never been more important. 

It’s also important to note that while there are certainly moments for joy and celebration, there is great intentionality in the healing aspect of our shared journey. 

What are you looking forward to the festival?
I am excited to be in our beautiful new home with such a close proximity to San Diego. It’s incredible to be able to extend this experience to even more of our local San Diego community just by it being closer to home. 

It feels good to create this space for my community that I am a part of. I can’t wait to share such a beautiful space. I am looking forward to getting out of the city, experiencing the beauty of the night sky and receiving the natural energy from the desert landscape. In many ways this event always feels like a reunion

I also really love that people can come into a beautiful space like this and walk away with new knowledge and  resources. We can also play, embrace our community and experience joy in ways we probably haven’t even thought of.