3 days agoRoss Darwin’s investments in edtech and entrepreneursBy John Kregler, StartOut Ross Darwin (he/him) grew up in Columbus, Ohio before moving to Stanford for school. Since then, he’s made the Bay Area home and the place to grow his passion for education investment. Studying economics and international relations, Ross learned about the investing world early on and…3 min read
Jan 20Sandra Sick through mentoring, marketing and travelBy John Kregler, StartOut For Sandra Sick (she/her), mentoring is that real opportunity to give back. A marketing and business development strategist with 25+ years of experience, her career has let her work with clients around the world, mentor startups in the US and abroad and travel extensively. Sandra always…3 min read
Jan 13Ari Kalfayan: startups, AI, and the power of mentoringBy John Kregler, StartOut “Being gay is an open door. People want to help you and they want to give to those who’re hungry and have a vision.” That’s what Ari Kalfayan (he/him) wishes he could’ve told himself when he was first starting as a young entrepreneur. Ari is one…3 min read
Jan 4Growth Lab alum Kelly McDonald on her startup’s acquisitionBy John Kregler, StartOut Our plans for 2022 are fully underway, and as we look ahead we’re reminded of all that our founders accomplished in the last year alone. One of those entrepreneurs is no stranger to the StartOut world. Last October, Kelly McDonald’s (she/her) startup, Kyndoo, was acquired by…3 min read
Nov 19, 2021A Conversation with Sheila Heaney on Transgender Awareness WeekBy John Kregler, StartOut As we come to the end of Transgender Awareness Week, we’re once again inspired by the stories of our trans founders and reminded of the work we still need to do to level the playing field for transgender entrepreneurs everywhere. For our final founder conversation, we…4 min read
Nov 17, 2021A Conversation with Finnegan Shepard on Transgender Awareness WeekBy John Kregler, StartOut Our trans founders and entrepreneurs are the leaders of the StartOut community. Their personal and professional achievements continue to inspire us as we make historic moves towards creating the level-playing field that all LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs deserve. While the road hasn’t been an easy one to navigate…4 min read
Nov 15, 2021A Conversation with Jessica Bussert on Transgender Awareness WeekWritten By: John Kregler, StartOut This week, we proudly recognize Transgender Awareness Week. A time to come together and celebrate the achievements of trans members of our community who’ve endured incredible challenges and successes throughout their lives. As part of this celebration, we’ve reached out to trans members of the…4 min read
Oct 14, 2021Genesis Garcia: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Year-Long ServiceBy John Kregler, StartOut Getting to know any member of StartOut, you’ll come to realize that giving back — the true spirit of the LGBTQ+ community — shines through everything they do. A true example being our Board of Directors member, Genesis Garcia (she/her). Genesis first got involved by way…3 min read
Oct 7, 2021James Silva: Automating Hospitality as a Gay, Latino FounderBy John Kregler, StartOut With the ongoing impact that COVID-19 has had on our entrepreneurs, the hospitality industry took large steps to adapt and survive. …3 min read
Sep 30, 2021Vanessa Archambault-Morales: My Journey as an Out, Latina FounderBy John Kregler, StartOut Vanessa Archambault-Morales (she/her) grew up in the little city of Santa Fe Springs in Los Angeles County. The daughter of Mexican-Americans, Vanessa wasn’t brought up with her Latina culture at the forefront for fear of racial prejudice. …3 min read
