EP 200 Bringing Equality to Startup Funding by Investing in LGBTQ+ Founders

There are verified stories of LGBTQ+ members who have been ignored and singled out by potential investors because of their gender identity.

Our guest, Ben Stokes, is on a mission to help create a world that's built on radical inclusivity, where diversity of knowledge and experience is celebrated.

He’s the Founding Partner of Chasing Rainbows, an early-stage investment fund focused on investing in founders who come from underrepresented backgrounds - particularly those from the LGBTQ+ community.

Ben previously founded and ran the virtual networking platform SocialTable, with customers on all 7 continents.

Using his own experience as an LGBTQ+ founder of color, he has been an active angel investor in companies led by diverse founders and has fostered them through an exit or next investment phase.

Please join me on Tuesday, May 31st at 7pm ET to meet Ben and learn how he’s changing the investment landscape for our LGBTQ+ community.

AMPLIFY YOUR STARTUP
While tuning in live, be sure to share your business name, one liner and website in the comment threads during the live show - Ben and I will showcase and celebrate your work in the world !

To learn more about Chasing Rainbows, please visit: https://www.chasingrainbows.vc/

Please connect with Ben via social here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpstokes/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/chasing-rainbows-vc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rainbows_vc

Venture Capital University: https://venturecapitaluniversity.com/
Elizabeth Yin, Hustle Fund How to Raise A Seed Round: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14N9R1ZNervLjIR4bi5VjfEDkOSDAFclkGMT06kHwbPI/edit

Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your business will do better - cheers!

Ande ♥
https://andelyons.com
#diverseinvestor #lgbtqfriendly

00:00 - Andelicious Announcements
04:00 - Founder Circle Hug
07:00 - Meet Ben Stokes
10:00 - Ben's first business SocialTable
12:00 - four ingredients that make a founder successful
18:00 - how one single act of kindness saved Ben's life - Stitch That On A Pillow
21:00 - the best measures of success for your founder journey
24:15 - why Ben created Chasing Rainbows
41:00 - Chasing Rainbows' investment criteria
48:00 - Startout - building a world where every LGBTQ+ entrepreneur has equal access to lead, succeed, and shape the workforce of the future: https://startout.org/
45:53 - the person who added the most value to Ben's founder and funder journey
56:00 - Ben's mindset advice for founders and investors

CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE:

https://twitter.com/AndeLyons
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https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/
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https://angel.co/andelyons
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