Resources for GLBTQIA Entrepreneurs

Pinkstart is a global crowdfunding platform designed for the LGBT community.

Not specfically for queer entrepreneurs, EnrichHER is a funding portal set up to leverage additional sources of capital beyond banks and accredited investors by handling funding sources from accredited and non-accredited sources

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, Republic encourages diverse teams to apply.

This article lists 20 sources of grants to help fund your queer business.

No specficially for queer entrepreneurs, their 500 Seed Program, based in San Francisco, offers educational and mentorship help and some cash for startups.

They invest globally and make decisions fast. They come in as early as the Family &
Friends round and follow-on in subsequent rounds. Focus: Early stage companies | companies led by women, BIPOC, people ages 50+, and LGBTQ+, sector Agnostic with a focus on Fintech, Enterprise, SaaS, and Consumer.

This accelerator program helps underrepresented founders (including queer entrepreneurs) in Los Angeles, Detroit, Philadelphia, and London. Connected to Backstage Capital.

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, digitalundivided (DID) takes an innovative approach to economic empowerment by encouraging women of color (WOC) to own their economic security through entrepreneurship. Based in Atlanta, DID is the primary pipeline for WOC into innovation-focused entrepreneurship, helping founders raise over $25 million in outside funding.

The Discovery Fund was created to support entrepreneurs who are building solutions for financial inclusion. They focus on supporting entrepreneurs who are building solutions for financial inclusion, pre-seed
and seed stage companies, underrepresented founders, primarily serving US
consumers.

Not specifically for queen entrepreneurs, DivInc is an accelerator program for women and people of color based in Austin, program requires to be on site for 30-40 hours per week.

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, fee-based ($2,000 tuition) online training program for underrepresented founders on how to raise money to scale their tech startups.

ABOUT
The Gaingels network combines the most accomplished founders and investors committed to supporting the portfolio. Through the power of our network, founders are connected to a valuable, global network of LGBT/Ally investors, gaining access to capital, investors’ business acumen and contacts. Focus is LGBTQ+ founders, sector agnostic, and late seed through Pre-IPO stage.

A 12-week program driving inclusive acceleration, education, and opportunity for minority and female tech founders. We enhance ecosystems nationwide with remarkable, scalable companies traditional investors often overlook. Focused on underrepresented founders , CPG, e-commerce, sustainability, AI, and healthcare startups, early stage companies.

Lunar Startups is building inclusive entrepreneurial experiences with underinvested founders at the center, focusing on growth, connection, and innovation for CEOS who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, women, and non-binary. Focused on underinvested founders and tech-enabled or consumer-focused companies.

The Portfolia Rising America Fund invests directly in early stage and growth companies in the US where people of color and LGBTQ investors see opportunity for returns and market impact. Focus is early stage companies people of color and LGBTQ, industry agnostic.

SoGal Ventures is the first women-led, next generation venture capital firm. Focus is diverse founders. startups based in the US, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Africa, and startups building the future of how we live, work, and stay healthy.

6 month program located in San Francisco supporting LGBTQ founders.

Startup52X is focused on extraordinary startup founders to launch highly successful and profitable ventures. We especially like teams that have at least ONE founder from underrepresented communities in tech. These include people of color, women, entrepreneurs who are – veterans, with disabilities, immigrants, LGBTQ, etc. We hope to increase diversity in startup and tech spaces while launching outstanding ventures.

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, Techstars accepts 300 companies per year into their accelerator program. Accelerator programs are located throughout the US, and there is an "anywhere" option.

We can help transgender and non-binary entrepreneurs form and grown viable businesses with our large and supportive network of customers and suppliers.

Not specifically for queer entrerpreneurs, XXelerate Fund supports high-performing women entrepreneurs leading growth companies by working to create access to the financing that growing in-revenue businesses need, and the financial education, mentorship, and peer support necessary to scale efficiently and profitably.

Pipeline Angels is changing the face of angel investing and creating capital for women and non-binary femme social entrepreneurs. Program locations include Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, DC, Detroit, LA, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, NYC, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Seattle, and Silicon Valley.

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, 37 Angels funds women (and men) startups.

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, Astia funds women lead startups.

According the them, "less than 10% of all venture capital deals go to women, People of Color, and LGBT founders. Other VCs see this as a pipeline problem. We see it as the biggest opportunity in investment.Backstage Capital has invested $5M in 100 companies led by underrepresented founders."

Focuses on funding women and non-binary founders.

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, but they are "aiming to build a bigger table in the world of venture capital, investing early-stage and focusing primarily on businesses founded and led by women of color and those from underrepresented groups."

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, SoGal Ventures supports women and minority run startups.

Not specifically for queer entrepreneurs, Elevate Capital "focuses on early-stage investments in startup companies, particularly those companies led by women, minorities, and veterans."

Not specifically focused on queer entrepreneurs, they claim to "seek entrepreneurs from all backgrounds, especially people of color, women and other groups that have been historically underrepresented."

Not specifcally for queer entrepreneurs the firm invests in women-lead startups.

Article on Arlan Hamilton who started her on venture capital firm.

The organization is "committed to convening queer women in technology (and our allies) in a vibrant and inclusive community. We work together to promote the visibility and inclusion of women, LGBTQ people, and people from other backgrounds under-represented in technology. If you work to move this mission forward, we want you on our team. Nobody ‘has to be’ a lesbian to be in this community."

Resources for funding, training, and networking.

Affinity Magazine is a "quarterly print and digital publication focused exclusively on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender business community, as well as America’s top organizations with a commitment to LGBT equality."

A good first stop for networking, resources, training, and meetups for the LGBTQ community throughout the United States.

The SFLGBT Center supports local San Francisco area by "assisting LGBTQ entrepreneurs through a variety of programs including one-on-one counseling, an innovative rapid credit-building microloan, workshops on access to capital preparation, and referrals to our vast small business development network.

The organization makes "awesome experiences and products for queer womxn entrepreneurs."

This nonprofit organization aims to "Inspire, empower and foster LGBT and other minority entrepreneurs and innovators in San Diego area through mentorship, networking, workshops, and social events."

The organization "Open For Business is a coalition of leading global companies dedicated to LGBT+ inclusion. Our task is to present the business rationale on global LGBT+ inclusion: successful, enterprising businesses thrive in diverse, inclusive societies and the spread of anti-LGBT+ policies runs counter to the interests of business and economic growth."

A national directly which lists either lesbian-owned or LGBTQ friendly businesses.

From Forbes magazine: As a black, LGBTQ entrepreneur myself, nothing excites me more than seeing powerful examples of people who look like me doing amazing things, beating the odds against black and queer success in America. So, I’m not only sharing stories about these entrepreneurs but also asking them to talk about their experiences, strength and hopes on specific topics.

From the Pitchbook Blog: Pride is and always has been a protest. LGBTQ+ people have had an unmeasured impact on the world at large, and the same is true within our industry—the public and private capital markets. To that end, we want to highlight some of the achievements of LGBTQ+ founders, venture capitalists, technologists and innovators—all trailblazers who created space for themselves and others in an industry that largely lacks diverse voices. This list is not exhaustive, and we encourage you to add to the conversation.

From Gusto.com: Every business needs help to thrive, and finding a supportive community can be especially key for minority business owners. For any LGBT entrepreneur looking to start a business or find resources to help run one, these online communities could become your new virtual best friends.

Lots of trans and non-binary entrepreneurs creating and running their own businesses.

HackOut is the world’s largest LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurship weekend. Coming back in 2022 and hosted in-person and virtually, the event is free and open to the public, offering participants the opportunity to present business pitches and compete in their final presentations. The hardest part of starting up is starting out, and the purpose of this event is to inspire potential entrepreneurs in the LGBTQIA community to learn the ropes of validating an idea for a startup or lifestyle business and turn that idea into a business venture. Over an extended weekend, you'll meet and work with 100+ other LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, validate your ideas, and learn how to create a real company.

A list of queer innovators, resources for those working in tech, and a good list of organizations, organized and published by Columbia Engineering Bootcamp.

This article is a guide to getting a limited liability company up and running in California. And getting the state right is important, since LLCs are the legal creations of states, rather than the federal government. So the process looks slightly different state-by-state. This guide focuses exclusively on how to start an LLC in California.

This State of California website is helpful in teaching you the basics of starting a business in California.

There are several key steps to launching a business in the state of California. These steps will vary according to the type of business you intend to start and the county and city in which the business will be located. Therefore, be sure to check specific rules and regulations within the county and city in which you want to conduct business, and any other agency’s requirements regarding zoning, licensing, employment, permits and taxes.

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