StartOut Mentors

Are you interested in providing startup mentorship to passionate entrepreneurs in the LGBTQ+ community? Consider donating your time and knowledge to LGBTQ+ founders and become a StartOut mentor.

500+

active mentors

1,600+

mentorship matches to date

50+

founders looking for a mentor

Program Overview

When you become a mentor with StartOut, you get the opportunity to have a real, measurable impact on up-and-coming LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and their businesses. You’ll meet with your mentee 2 hours per month over the course of 6 months. This small amount of time is invaluable for new entrepreneurs and provides you as a mentor with a platform to share your unique insight, expertise, and knowledge. We ensure our pairings are the best possible match by giving you access to suggested mentee profiles before finalization and prioritize matching you based on your functional areas of expertise, interests, and industry experience.

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

2 Hours per month based on your schedule
6 month engagement with your mentee
Check-ins with StartOut Program Manager
Professional development

“[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. It’s energizing to experience and help shape LGBTQ+ led start-ups."

Our Philosophy on Startup Mentorship

StartOut believes mentorship is paramount to the overall Founder journey. Our approach to mentorship is tailored to the unique goals and challenges of each Founder. We manually match mentorship pairs based on two primary factors: industry alignment and expertise of the mentor. Our commitment to a quality match can also extend beyond the primary factors listed above, such as geography and social demographics.

Unique to our onboarding process is the time we take to get to know you as a mentor. After submitting your application, we’ll meet with you individually to ensure we have a full 360-degree understanding of your experience and interests, which lays the foundation for a successful match.

Benefits of Becoming a Mentor

Build impactful and meaningful relationships with LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs
Help drive the economic empowerment of the LGBTQ+ community
Learn about emerging technologies, products, and services
Connect with other mentors in the StartOut community and expand your network