Tribal Electric is the only queer woman of color owned electrical company in Seattle. Owned and operated by Boo Torres and wife Jo Alcantara, the pair are the epitome of good Seattle family business if there ever was one. They are proud mothers to five beautiful children who go by Val, Amber, Char, Knuckles, and Mango. Jo is also the director of APIChaya, an organization that empowers survivors of gender- based violence and human trafficking to gain safety, connections, and wellness. Jo believes “Whats so sweet is my job is keeping people safe from domestic violence and Tribal (Electric) is about keeping people safe in their own homes through electrical and fire safety.” Boo is passionate about making people feel comfortable in their homes while she is working on making their environment safer. Women feel more comfortable with her in the home, and often feel empowered to ask questions and go about their day while she is there.
The business began partially because of the families want to spend more time together. With five children, and Boo working as a maintenance technician for the city of Seattle, the ability to find coverage for sick days with the kids was few and far between, especially with two new toddlers. Another large part of the reason for moving into independent contracting being that Torres wanted to provide more opportunity for electricians like her. When creating Tribal Electric, she made sure to be unionized as the company is not just a two-woman show. They are joined by Ryder, a trans native man who has had the opportunity to apprentice with Torres.
“We want to provide training that others don’t have access to. For women in the trade. People who don’t have a lot of access to mentorship in the field because it’s run by people who don’t look like us. What about those of us who don’t have a dad or a grandfather passing these things along? those of us breaking boundaries and barriers? There has to be a place for us to learn and train.” Says Torres.
Congratulations are in order for our amazing Small Business of the Month, February. If you want to learn more about Tribal Electric, Click on the link here to watch a video about them created by Tulalip News. If you would like to support the amazing work APIChaya does, please consider attending their 2020 gala on April 25th, tickets can be found on their website. Tribal Electric is capable of electrical work in commercial and residential buildings and is also available for inspections, learn more about their services on their website. Congratulations again Tribal Electric!
If you’re interested in learning more about the Office of Economic Development’s small business services, visit our website or reach out to us at oed@seattle.gov.