Paul Miller grew up in the City’s Richmond District, and quickly found himself drawn to the excitement of the Castro. He moved to the neighborhood before enrolling in San Francisco State, working his way through school in what are now iconic neighborhood establishments like Headlines, The Detour, Lalo’s, The Red Grill, and Daddy’s. His experiences taught him valuable lessons about the importance of community.

His mantra has always been, “if you want to see it exist, then create it yourself.” Taking those words as his guide he created popular nightlife events and destinations including Truck

and Rebel. It has always been his belief that the local LGBTQ+ community lacked places to really connect with others outside of the bar setting. In 2017, he decided that needed to change, joining forces with co-founder Nate Bourg to create The Academy.

At The Academy today, Paul focuses on the history and cultural aspects of programming. He personally leads the historical walking tours, oversees the community courses program and spearheads community inclusion efforts that foster the connections he hoped to help create. “I have been thrilled with the community we have been able to build here,” he explains. “I think it is incredible that we have members that range in age from their 20s to 70s. Our goal is to be a gathering place where the wide variety of people that make San Francisco great can come together and do even greater things.”