How To Get Started
Our resources are designed to support LGBTQ+ startups at various company stages.
If you are a founder looking for support then you’ve come to the right place. Once you’ve become a StartOut founder member, you’ll gain access to our suite of resources and programs that are designed to help you grow your business.
Who We Support
- Aspiring founders who are developing their ideas
- Solo-founders or teams developing scalable solutions
- Founders open to building an enduring business in a number of different ways, whether through bootstrapping, funding, or otherwise
- Founders of established companies (our network of accredited investors range from angel/pre-seed to Series D+)
- Service-related businesses (one on one coaching businesses, consulting companies, single brick & mortar establishments, etc) are not a good fit for our programs
Eligibility Criteria
- You work at least part-time on your startup
- You are developing a scalable solution (product or service) to address a large market ($500 million or more)
- You are able to identify specific and critical milestones that you can realistically achieve in the next twelve months
- Remark: Service-related businesses will only be eligible for our community resources, our perks, and Expert Office hours
What We Expect From You
- A spirit of collaboration and responsiveness when interacting with your peers and others who contribute to the success of the program (mentors, experts, investors)
- A commitment to report on few metrics during the program
- Become a giving community member (monthly donation of $12.50) for the duration of the program or apply for an empowerment or need-based scholarship
What You Can Expect from Us
- A dedicated resource, your Founder Experience and Relationship Manager (FERM), who will be your main point of contact throughout your journey with StartOut
- A team of passionate professionals that will support you during your participation in our specific program verticals
- Access to investors who are committed to supporting the founders in our community
- A team that is motivated to ensure that our programs are inclusive and diverse for founders who meet our eligibility requirements
- A wealth of knowledge and experience from our mentors and subject matter experts who are committed to enriching our programs
Our Programs Team
Allison Wright (she/her)
Director of Education
Chris Davidson (he/him)
Head of Growth Lab
Danielle Wiggins (she/her)
Program Manager, Access to Capital
Herman Flowers (he/him)
Program Manager, Founder Onboarding & Experience
Jake Hannigan (he/him)
Sr. Program Manager, Growth Lab & Impact
Tarik Perkins (he/him)
Chief Program Officer
Join StartOut
Since 2009, StartOut has built a community of over 28,000 members. Every year, we provide support to over 700 individual founders. We connect them to expertise, peers, community, and capital. This powerful combination of financial support, skills development, and community contributes to helping fuel innovation, wealth generation and equal access to economic opportunity. Join our growing community today.