Sunday, Sept. 24th

Sunday's sessions will spotlight the broader landscape of the LGBTQ+ entrepreneurial ecosystem. StartOut Director Irene Tang will provide insights into the current state of queer entrepreneurship and identify the factors that either support or hinder our success. Subsequently, we'll convene a panel discussion focused on embracing our identities rather than concealing them, specifically focusing on how this authenticity can enhance our access to capital, partnerships, and overall success in the entrepreneurial arena.

• 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: StartOut and the State of the LGBTQ+ Market 

• Irene Tang, Director, StartOut

• 1:00 - 2:00 PM: Panel: Leveraging your Queer Identity for Business Success

• Moderator: Patrick Driscoll, General Partner, Chasing Rainbows

• Densil Porteous, CEO, Pride Fund

• Kadi Findling, Senior Associate, Stony Lonesome Group

• Johann Moonesinghe, CEO and Co-founder, InKind

Saturday, Sept. 23rd: 

The sessions will begin with an introduction to a company's preparation and attraction of investment capital. We will have insights from various experts, including a VC firm Pride Fund representative and a startup called Legal Karma, which recently secured funding through an equity round. They will share invaluable insights into the optimal strategies for founders. Following this informative session, we will delve into a specific case study demonstrating how a company successfully garnered swift investments from venture capitalists. We will explore how they skillfully crafted their narrative and discuss their impressive trajectory toward achieving the coveted "unicorn status."

• 11:00 - 12:00 AM: Pitching 101 - Winning Queer (and not-so-Queer) Dollars 

• Pride Fund, VC Perspective

• Kory Kelly,  Co-Founder & CEO, Legal Karma

• 12:00 AM - 1:00 PM: How A Unicorn Got It's Rainbow Wings

• Ben Stokes, Founding Partner, Chasing Rainbows

• Gold Hood, Founder and CEO, FULL Community