StartOut Announces Winners for 2014 StartOut Awards

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- StartOut, a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) entrepreneurs and business leaders, announced today the nominees for its 3rd Annual StartOut Awards. By recognizing and honoring business leaders for outstanding representation and support of the LGBT community, the StartOut Awards embody StartOut's mission to support entrepreneurs in the LGBT community. The event brings further visibility and prominence to the dynamic, innovative, and exceptionally diverse field of LGBT community members fueling the American entrepreneurial spirit.

This year's winners are:

- Dave McClure, founding partner and CEO of 500Startups, globally renowned angel investor, and community ally, receiving the Advocate Award, recognizing a champion for LGBT business leadership

- Amy Errett, founder and CEO of Madison Reed, venture capitalist, and social-mission visionary, receiving the Trailblazer Award, recognizing an innovator who is revolutionizing an industry

- Li Han Chan, engineer, technologist, and new global entrepreneur receiving the Next Generation Award, recognizing an emerging entrepreneur of great accomplishment

and as the featured keynote of the evening:

- George Takei, legendary advocate, actor, and spokesman receiving the Leadership Award, recognizing someone who has demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit in service of the community

"The StartOut Awards shine a well-deserved spotlight on those who have done so much to empower and inspire the entire LGBT business community in this year of tremendous progress," said StartOut CEO Gene Falk. "The range of this year's recipients—a legendary actor and advocate, an ally and startup industry icon, an inspiring CEO committed to social impact, and an up and coming out entrepreneur—demonstrates one of StartOut's most fundamental values: that strength of our community comes from the diversity of its members."

The 2014 StartOut Awards will be held in San Francisco on September 11, 2014 at The San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Special celebrity guests and media opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks.

To receive the latest updates on the StartOut Awards, follow @StartOut on Twitter and use the hashtag #StartOutAwards.

These annual awards recognize outstanding LGBT entrepreneurship as well as those heroes who help promote visibility and success of the entire community. Over 300 entrepreneurs, community leaders, members of the media, and local officials gather in San Francisco for this ever-growing, truly exciting celebration of the LGBT business community. The evening's festivities include a cocktail reception, dinner and awards ceremony. Event proceeds help benefit StartOut's 60+ annual events dedicated to empowering, educating, and funding LGBT and allied entrepreneurs. 

StartOut's corporate partners include: Pillsbury, Bank of America, Morrison Foerster, Silicon Valley Bank, Here Media, Perkins Coie, The Social Edge, Lowenstein Sandler, IBM, Google, and grants from the Kauffman Foundation, The Arcus Foundation, and the Kevin J. Mossier Foundation.  

For a full list of corporate partners and information on how to become a corporate partner, purchase tickets, and be a part of the Awards, please visit http://www.StartOut.org/Awards

Founded in 2009 with chapters in New York City and San Francisco, StartOut is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering and developing entrepreneurship in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ("LGBT") community. It helps aspiring entrepreneurs to start new companies, helps current entrepreneurs to grow and expand their businesses, and engages successful LGBT entrepreneurs as role models and mentors for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. StartOuts' goals are to educate, inspire, and support members of the LGBT community around entrepreneurship and business leadership. For more information, visit http://www.startout.org.

For inquires / interviews:
Jonathan D. Lovitz, Director of Communications
[email protected]

954.695.5896

SOURCE StartOut