StartOut Mentors

Are you interested in providing startup mentorship to passionate LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and allies? Consider donating your time and knowledge by becoming a StartOut mentor.

600+

active mentors

1,800+

all-time mentorship matches made

100+

founders looking for a mentor

Program Overview

StartOut’s Mentorship Program is designed to help you build transformative, high-impact relationships with emerging LGBTQ founders and allies. Powered by a state-of-the-art mentorship platform, our program offers an intuitive and flexible experience that puts connection and growth at the forefront.

You’ll meet with your mentee 2 hours per month over the course of 6 months. This small amount of time is invaluable for entrepreneurs and provides you as a mentor with a platform to share your unique insight, expertise, and knowledge. Throughout your relationship, you’ll be guided by a series of thoughtfully designed Mentorship Milestones—Matching, First Meeting, Growing Together, and Leveling Up—to ensure the experience is both productive and meaningful.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies are all welcome to participate in our startup mentorship program.

6-Months, 2 hours per month based on your schedule
5 Recommended Founder Matches
Personalized Mentor Onboarding
Structured Mentorship Milestones
Quick, Seamless Feedback Loops

“[Mentorship] is a great fit for the work that I already do, and I love being able to support our community directly.”

“StartOut provides the avenue to reach new information through mentorship. I owe so much of my growth to the mentors and colleagues I met through the organization and it’s part of the reason I continue that relationship today.”

"Startout is an awesome mentoring program and I’m finding the experience really rewarding – both professionally and personally. The team helped facilitate a perfect match and our meet-ups are always a highlight in my week."

Our Matching Philosophy

We believe great mentorship starts with great alignment. That’s why you’ll receive five thoughtfully curated founder matches tailored to your areas of expertise, industry background, and shared interests. You also have the flexibility to explore additional profiles across our dynamic network of entrepreneurs, giving you full control in choosing who you’d like to connect with.

Our platform makes it easy to browse detailed founder profiles, initiate conversations through integrated chat, schedule meetings, and track your progress—all within a seamless, mentor-friendly interface. Every potential match begins with a First Meeting, giving both you and the founder the opportunity to assess fit before committing to the full mentorship engagement. If a match doesn’t feel right, you can simply close it and continue exploring other options.

To ensure the best possible experience, our Director of Education will meet with you personally to learn more about your goals and strengths, and provide custom match recommendations that align with your unique perspective and availability.

Benefits of Becoming a Mentor

Build impactful and meaningful relationships with entrepreneurs
Help increase opportunity and success for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.
Learn about emerging technologies, products, and services
Connect with other mentors in the StartOut community and expand your network