StartOut Awards
October 10th | New York City
13th Annual StartOut Awards
Join us in New York City for the entrepreneurial event of the year!
Thursday, October 10th | 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM EDT
Tribeca 360° 10 Desbrosses St., New York, NY 10013
The StartOut Awards is the premier celebration of the nation’s LGBTQ+ entrepreneurial community. Our signature event recognizes outstanding LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs across industries.
By recognizing and honoring business leaders for outstanding representation of the LGBTQ+ community, the StartOut Awards bring further visibility and prominence to the dynamic, innovative, and exceptionally diverse field of LGBTQ+ community members fueling the American entrepreneurial spirit.
If you have questions, please email info@outshineevents.com.
Interested in corporate sponsorship opportunities? Please reach out to us at info@startout.org.
This Event is Sponsored By
2024 Awardees
Advocate Award
Fearless Fund
Fearless Fund invests in women of color-led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level, or series A financing. Our mission is to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color founders building scalable, growth-aggressive companies. Fearless Fund is built by women of color for women of color.
Arian Simone is an accomplished entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor, best-selling author, and highly sought-after international speaker. She is widely recognized as a trailblazer in her industry, making significant contributions and empowering others along the way. Arian is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Fearless Fund, a groundbreaking venture capital fund that is the first Venture Capital Fund built for WOC by WOC with a focus on investing in pre-seed, seed level, and series A financing which includes institutional investors such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Mastercard, Ally Bank, and more.
Arian’s impact and influence have garnered widespread recognition, with Entrepreneur Magazine naming her as one of the “100 Women of Impact.” Her unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for women of color and her exceptional achievements in various fields
truly set her apart as a dynamic and inspiring leader.
Tristan Schukraft
Known as “The CEO of Everything Gay,” Tristan Schukraft is a technology entrepreneur, turned hotelier and nightlife aficionado. An LA native, now residing in Puerto Rico, Tristan’s entrepreneurial journey began with the founding of ID90.COM, an e-ticketing platform for airline personnel. Following the success of ID90, Schukraft later went on to establish MISTR, the largest telemedicine platform dedicated to HIV prevention and long-term HIV care. His hospitality and nightlife portfolio began with the acquisitions of The Tryst beachfront hotel and Circo nightclub, both located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, later acquiring The Tryst in Puerto Vallarta and the iconic LGBTQ+ nightlife venue, The Abbey in West Hollywood, California, and The Blue Whale, The Pavilion Nightclub, The Canteen and more in The Pines on Fire Island.
Perrin Quarshie
Perrin was most recently the Founder & CEO of RealBlocks, an alternative investments platform that provides asset managers with a digital experience for expanding their firm’s distribution footprint and automating manual processes for onboarding investors. The firm raised over $23M in venture capital over three rounds and serviced over $77B in assets before being acquired in early 2024. Perrin began his career in engineering at NAC International, where he completed several nuclear energy infrastructure projects in the United States and in Japan. After NAC and prior to RealBlocks, Perrin completed his MBA at the MIT Sloan School of Business, during which time he worked at Barclays as a summer associate in Real Estate Investment Banking, conducting M&A Transactions for various REIT and Private Equity sponsors.
Dr. Vivienne Ming
Theoretical neuroscientist, entrepreneur, author, and mother of two, Vivienne is featured frequently for her research and inventions in The Financial Times, The Atlantic, and the New York Times. Her AI inventions have launched a dozen companies and nonprofits with a focus on human potential: education, workforce, and health. A self-described “professional mad scientist”, Vivienne founded The Human Trust to fight some of the world’s most pressing problems, and she travels the world sharing the stories of these astonishing projects. In her free time, Vivienne works to design AI systems to help treat her son’s diabetes, predict manic episodes in bipolar sufferers, and reunite orphan refugees with extended family members. She sits on the boards of numerous companies and nonprofits, including UC Berkeley’s Neurotech Collider Hub and RFK Human Rights. For relaxation, she writes science fiction and hikes with her wife and children.
Emcee
Thorgy Thor
Thorgy Thor is a New York City based drag performance artist, entertainer, musician, and event host. Since appearing on season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and All Stars season 3, Thorgy has been traveling the world, bringing to audiences her trademark wit, sense of humor, and musical charm.
Thorgy uses unconventional recording materials and music to create unique performances for theater, film, cabaret, and nightlife entertainment. An explosive performer who loves to lip-sync just as much as create collaborative performance art that combines drag, music and comedy.
In 2018, the show Thorgy and the Thorchestra was created in collaboration with Canadian conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, making its debut with Symphony Nova Scotia in Halifax in conjunction with Halifax Pride, with two nights of sold-out performances to rave reviews. The show blends orchestral performances of traditional and modern classical repertoire and contemporary pop songs.
DJ
DJ Dawson (he/him)
DJ Dawson, a Brooklyn-based music curator, boasts over a decade of crafting standout mixes that seamlessly blend lively house rhythms, soulful vocals, and cutting-edge electronic sounds. A respected fixture in the NYC club music scene, Dawson’s journey as a premiere DJ has garnered a following that extends across the nation and beyond.
Dawson’s wide-ranging appeal spans from intimate lounges and rooftops to large clubs and international festivals. From New York to London, Toronto to Las Vegas, and beyond, he consistently impresses with his infectious grooves. With successful stints at renowned venues, Dawson’s versatile talent shines at black-tie galas, underground raves, and festival main-stages alike.
2024 Host Committee
Erica Bacon
Akash Bakshi
Jesse Beck
Alex Capecelatro & Brian Stevens
Ruth Caraballo
Joan Cute
Alexander-Ali Dalipi
Adrian J DeLeon
Patrick Driscoll
Patrick Doherty
Daniel Dudley
Carla Hendra
Bryan Janeczko & Terry Young
Brian Lucksinger
Miguel A. Lopez
Chocolatté Miller
Yosh Miller
Ryan Mulcock
Brandon Parkes
Deyvis Rodriguez-Luther
Spencer Schrage & Sean Coghlan
Amol Shah & Jens Audenaert
Kahran Singh & Gourav Tarafdar
Amy Siskind
Jeffrey Tompkins
Ronald Tompkins
Previous Awardees
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