Almost every LGBTQ+ entrepreneur has encountered unequal access to key resources needed to advance their business. In 2009, Darren Spedale, Bryan Janeczko, Joe DiPasquale, and Lorenzo Thione founded StartOut, an LGBTQ non-profit to promote LGBTQ equality and combat discrimination in the business world. Since then, StartOut has become a champion for the LGBTQ+ entrepreneurial community providing the resources entrepreneurs need to succeed, promoting the successes of our community, and researching the economic impacts of LGBTQ+ discrimination.

Board of Directors

  • Chris Young
    Chair
  • Sayan Gomel
    Co-Vice-Chair
  • Vivienne Ming
    Co-Vice-Chair
  • Suzanne Killea
    Secretary
  • Chris Fraley
    Treasurer
  • JT Batson
  • Patrick Grosso
    Chair Emeritus
  • Nick Hendra
  • Tiffany Jana
  • Mohit Jolly
  • Jody Michael
  • Lindsay Nuon
  • Chris Sinton
    Chair Emeritus
  • Ty Sheppard
  • Lorenzo Thione
    Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus
  • Andy Wheeler

Board of Advisors

  • Mike Sullivan
    Chair, Board of Advisors
  • Amy Errett
  • Anne Dorman
  • Bryan Janeczko
    Co-Founder
  • Chip Conley
  • Chris Chin
  • Chris Davidson
  • Conor Madigan
  • Darren Spedale
    Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus
  • Dan Davis
  • David Spitzer
  • James Rushing
  • Jared Delaney-Smith
  • Jory Sandusky
  • Mark Lacy
  • Mary Shea
  • Mike Schultz
  • Nicole Dogwill
  • Patrick Chung
  • Scott E. Miller
  • Scott Thacker
  • Thomas Gaynor
  • Tom Burke
  • Wasim Ahmad

Staff

  • Andres Wydler
    Executive Director
  • Sarah Burgaud
    COO
  • Tony Uceda
    Director of Development
  • Amanda Coopersmith
    Systems & Operations Manager
  • Chris Davidson
    Head of Growth Lab
  • Christa Kilday
    Marketing Manager
  • Kim Tan
    Administrative Manager