Business Spotlight
LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and investors are growing in numbers and influence in the U.S. and beyond. In its most recent listings, the venture capital, private equity and M&A database PitchBook named 47 “founders, entrepreneurs and VCs you should know.”
Read the June 9, 2023, blog by Kelly Knickerbocker and view the photos and links to these powerhouses of the LGBTQ+ community at bit.ly/PitchBook-List. This list was reprinted with permission from PitchBook.
LGBTQ+ founders and entrepreneurs
Alicia Garza
Principal of Black Futures Lab, an Oakland-based think tank that works to transform Black communities into constituencies that wield independent political power at the municipal, state and federal level. Garza is also the co-founder of Black Lives Matter, a globally recognized organizing project that focuses on combating anti-Black state-sanctioned violence and the oppression of all Black people.
Amy Errett
Founder and CEO of Madison Reed, an ammonia-free at-home hair color company. Errett is also an investor at True Ventures, focusing on consumer and e-commerce startups.
Traci Keen
CEO of Mate Fertility, a fertility clinic that provides in-person services in several U.S. states and via telemedicine for those seeking fertility treatments, therapies and end-to-end fertility services.
Angelica Ross
Founder and CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a co-learning and co-working nonprofit with a focus on economically empowering trans, lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer people and allies with practical, career-ready skills.
Brandy Hoffman
Co-founder, alongside Patricia Santos, of Volition Beauty, an online platform that empowers users to help create the products they’d like to see. Hoffman is also president and COO of Matice Biosciences.
Mckensie Mack
Co-founder and CEO of MMG, a Black-led and nonbinary-led social justice organization and change management firm.
Rachel Tipograph
Founder and CEO of MikMak, a global platform that provides analytics and ecommerce enablement software to help product manufacturers and CPG companies understand their customers’ online behavior, allocate marketing budget and drive sales.
Coty Craven
Co-founder of Can I Play That?, a provider of accessibility video game reviews, in 2014 with late partner Susan Banks. Despite Craven’s departure from the company in 2019, Can I Play That? has revolutionized gaming for the disabled community. Now at Epic Games, Craven continues to empower teams to create inclusive content and products with a passion for developing kind, rewarding communities that companies thrive on.
Peter Arvai
Co-founder and former CEO of Prezi, a cloud-based presentation software company reinventing how people share knowledge virtually.
Emma Mcilroy
CEO and founder of Wildfang, a Portland-based apparel marketplace that offers clothing for all genders and body types.
Fran Dunaway
Co-founder, along with her partner Naomi Gonzalez of TomboyX, a gender-neutral underwear and apparel brand headquartered in Seattle.
Gina Trapani
CEO at Postlight, a startup that designs and builds software platforms. Trapani is perhaps best known for founding blockbuster tech blog Lifehacker, which was acquired by Univision.
Haily Marzullo
Founder and CEO of Humankind, a line of mix-and-match, gender-inclusive swimwear and active wear built for comfort and style.
Hayley Sudbury
Founder and CEO of WERKIN, a people analytics platform using behavioral science to promote diversity through modern mentoring, coaching and training.
Christer Holloman
Founder and advisor at Divido, a fast, flexible online retail finance platform designed to boost sales, customer conversion and average order values. The omnichannel platform connects to multiple lenders wherever customers want to buy online, in-store or over the phone — enabling consumers to buy now, pay later. Prior to starting Divido, Holloman launched Glassdoor in the EMEA region.
Isabella Giancarlo
Founder and creative director of Tart, a New York-based branding and creative studio specializing in the expressive, unexpected and downright fun.
Jake Bullock
Co-founder of Cann, a line of gluten-free, vegan THC-infused beverages that aim to reshape social drinking.
Jess Page
Co-founder of Open Water, a company that sells still and sparkling water in 100% recyclable refillable aluminum water bottles and cans to curb plastic use.
Kara Swisher
Co-founder of Recode, a tech website sold to Vox Media in 2015. After joining the New York Times in 2020, she now co-hosts the Pivot podcast (New York magazine, Vox Media Podcast Network) with NYU Professor Scott Galloway.
Kel Rakowski
Founder and CEO of Lex, a social app that connects queer community members looking to meet new friends, build relationships and have fun.
Vivienne Ming
Founder and executive chair of Socos Labs, a think tank experimenting with new versions of work, education and inclusive economies to inform more human-centered policy. Ming is also chief scientist at Dionysus Health.
Leanne Pittsford
Founder and CEO of Lesbians Who Tech, the largest LGBTQ+ community of technologists in the world with 100,000 members from 40+ global cities. Lesbians Who Tech’s San Francisco Summit is the largest professional LGBTQ event in the world, and its programmatic work includes a coding scholarship, a mentoring program and a leadership program for nonbinary people and LGBTQ+ women in tech.
Paola Fernandez
Founder and CEO of High Hemp, the first all-organic herbal wrap company, based in Orlando. Prior to High Hemp, Fernandez worked at her father’s tobacco company for seven years, cultivating a breadth of knowledge and experience she draws on today.
Nicole Doucet
CEO and co-founder of Open Water, which became the world’s first climate-neutral bottled water company, which has eliminated the need for more than 20 million plastic bottles.
Maya Satya Reddy
Former pro golfer and founder of Queer Asian Social Club, a community that increases the visibility of queer and trans-APISWAD (Asian-Pacific Islander-Southwest Asian-Desi) people.
Michelle MiJung Kim
CEO and co-founder of Awaken, a startup offering workshops and trainings on authenticity, social justice and inclusive leadership to transform the way people show up and thrive.
Rachael Rapinoe
Co-founder and CEO of Mendi, a Portland-based, direct-to-consumer CBD health brand that empowers active lifestyles and sports recovery. Mendi offers gummies, salve sticks, tinctures, massage oils and creams that prioritize wellness through product innovation. Rapinoe’s products are endorsed by her twin sister, world-renowned athlete, professional soccer player and U.S. Women’s National Team Captain Megan Rapinoe.
Scott Lewallen
Co-founder of Grindr, alongside Joel Simkhai, a social networking app for gay, bisexual, trans and queer people. Lewallen is also an accomplished artist based in Los Angeles and CEO of Mezic Media.
Stephanie (Lampkin) VanPutten
Executive in residence at The Equity Alliance, which invests in diverse emerging VC fund managers. VanPutten is also the founder and executive director of Visible Figures and founder of BlendScore.
Damian Pelliccione
CEO and co-founder, alongside Alia J. Daniels and Christopher J. Rodriguez, of Revry, a global LGBTQ+ streaming media network that champions diversity and inclusion in media and entertainment through live TV, movies, series, news and exclusive originals. Pelliccione is also the co-founder of QueerX, a one-of-a-kind festival designed to recognize the world of brilliant digital content created by and for the global queer community.
Suki Sandhu
Founder and CEO of Audeliss, a London-based executive search firm dedicated to leveling the playing field for women, ethnically diverse and LGBTQ+ candidates.
Ben Stokes
Founding partner at Chasing Rainbows, a VC firm that invests in pre-seed tech companies led by LGBTQ+ founders, as well as Black and female founders. Stokes is also the co-chair of the StartOut Programming Board. Headquartered in San Francisco and founded in 2021, Chasing Rainbows seeks to level the funding playing field for founders who often don’t have access to funding networks.
Patrick Driscoll
General partner at Chasing Rainbows, working alongside Ben Stokes, where he leads and manages LP relationships and sources early-stage LGBTQ+-led companies across sectors.
Kelly O’Connell
Managing partner at 360 Venture Collective, a woman-founded and -led venture firm that funds and accelerates pre-seed and seed-stage U.S. companies led by women and LGBTQ+ founders.
Melissa Bradley
Founder and managing partner at 1863 Ventures, a Black-led national business development nonprofit accelerator and venture capital fund for underrepresented founders. The Washington, D.C.-based organization supports more than 3,200 entrepreneurs across the U.S., leveraging capital investments, owned curricula, grant funding and more. Bradley is also an adjunct professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, the co-founder of Sidecar Social Finance, and co-founder of Ureeka (acquired by ZenBusiness in 2022).
Jackson Block
Co-founder alongside Tiana Tukes of LGBT+VC, a nonprofit that is addressing the supply crisis of LGBTQ+ investors in the financial markets.
Tiana Tukes
Co-founder with Jackson Block of LGBT+VC, a New York-based nonprofit that is dedicated to advancing the LGBTQ+ and allied venture capital community.
Arlan Hamilton
Founder and managing partner at Backstage Capital, a VC firm that invests in women, people of color and LGBTQ+ founders. Hamilton is also the founder of Runner, a labor marketplace that connects startups with operations people looking for part-time work.
B. Pagels-Minor
Founder of DVRGNT Ventures, an Los Angeles-based VC firm that makes strategic investments to support startups based in the Midwest, Mountain West and Southern regions of the U.S.
Cody Goodermote
Head of IT and security at Felicis Ventures, a VC firm founded in 2006 and based in Menlo Park, California. Goodermote is also an angel investor and on the Programming Board at StartOut.
Lorenzo Thione
Co-founder of StartOut, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit promoting equality and combating discrimination in business. He’s also at managing director at Gaingels.
David Beatty
Founder of Gaingels, a Vermont-based VC firm started in 2014 that has invested in companies that embrace LGBT leadership, diversity and inclusion.
Densil Porteous
CEO of LOUD Capital’s Pride Fund 1, a $10 million venture capital vehicle that invests in companies led by LGBTQ+ founders or firms serving that community.
Nitin Rai
Founder and managing partner of Elevate Capital, an Oregon-based VC that supports and mentors underrepresented entrepreneurs. Launched in 2016, Elevate Capital is one of the first institutional inclusive venture funds in the U.S.
Amy Siskind
Founder and general partner at Causeway Investments, a New York-based firm that provides liquidity in the venture capital secondary market.
Natalia Oberti Noguera
Founder and CEO of Pipeline Angels, a group of angel investors who serve as the friends and family round for entrepreneurs — particularly trans and cis women, agender, gender non-confirming, nonbinary and two-spirit founders.
Pocket Sun
VC and co-founding partner at SoGal Ventures, one of the world’s largest communities of diverse entrepreneurs and investors with 40+ chapters worldwide. Co-founded by Sun and Elizabeth Galbut, SoGal Ventures is the first women-led, next-generation venture capital firm. It focuses on early-stage diverse founding teams in the U.S and Asia, and aims to be the strongest ally for its portfolio companies.
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