Successful LGBTQ Technology Entrepreneurs
The biggest growth business in the developed world today is the technology industry. A good representation of the LGBTQ community in this industry is important and reflects the community's capability to participate on an equal basis with all others without discrimination.
Several LGBTQ organizations have been created to help ensure the community's participation: StartOut helps entrepreneurs to start their own business while also working to end discrimination in the technology industry through established member chapters around the world; Lesbians Who Tech is a group specifically for the Lesbian community, also through a chapter organization; and Out in Tech is a social networking agency encouraging internships and training in the sector.
Many established technology firms have in-house LGBTQ networking groups. As well, there are conferences and symposiums on a regular basis which cater specifically to the LGBTQ entrepreneurial community.
The largest of today's technology companies were started with the active participation of LGBTQ individuals. Ric Weiland was a co-founder of Microsoft, while Chris Hughes was a co-founder of Facebook. Many smaller firms started by LGBTQ communities have also been successful.
We have identified the following individuals who are successful technology entrepreneurs. To read their fascinating biographies, simply click on their names.
Australia
- Richard Bootle - Co-founder, Moxcol Group
- Ian Perkins - Co-founder, Moxcol Group
Canada
- Dax Dasilva - founder, Lightspeed Commerce Inc.
- Jeffrey Kofman - Founder, Trint
- Naoufel Testaouni - Founder & CEO, QueerTech
Great Britain
- Nick Denton - Founder, Gawker
- Vicky Reeves - Founder & Deputy Managing Director, ChamelionNet
- Kate Stone - Novalia
- Sophie Wilson - IC Design
Israel
- Shachar Grembek, Reps AI
Spain
- Alfonso Cobo - Founder and CEO, Unfold
United States
- Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI
- David Blumberg - Blumberg Capital
- David Bohnett - GeoCities, Baroda Ventures
- Jon 'Maddog' Hall - Linux
- Chris Hughes - Co-founder, Facebook
- Jason Goldberg - Founder, Fab
- Jordan Goldman - Founder & CEO, Unigo
- Arlan Hamilton - Founder, Backstage Capital
- Hernan Lopez - Wondery
- Andrea Minkow - Co-founder, Minkerman
- Nichole Mustard - Co-founder, Credit Karma
- Leanne Pittsford - founder, Lesbians Who Tech
- Keith Rabois - PayPal, LinkedIn, Yelp, and Zoom
- Jeff Ragovin - Buddy Media and Ragovin Ventures
- Darrell Silver - Thinkful, Perpetually
- Joel Simkhai - Founder & CEO, Grindr
- Darren Spedale - Founder, StartOut and FamilyByDesign
- Kara Swisher - Co-founder, Re/code
- Peter Thiel - PayPal
- Lorenzo Thione - Founder, Powerset
- Ric Weiland - Co-founder, Microsoft
- Chris Wood - Co-founder, LGBT Tech
- Stan Zanarotti - Co-founder, Dimensional Insight
See Also
- LGBTQ Chief Executive Officers of Business Enterprises
- LGBTQ Chief Information/Technology Officers
- LGBTQ Engineers
- LGBTQ Inventors
- Software Programmers and Developers From the LGBTQ Community
