Make Venture Capital Work for Everyone, Including LGBT Founders and Investors

The Sure Shot Entrepreneur

Lorenzo Thione, Managing Director at Gaingels, shares his journey from Italy to the U.S. and the pivotal life event inspiring his advocacy for inclusive venture capital representation. He delves into Gaingels' investment philosophy, emphasizing its focus on supporting diverse founders and investors. Lorenzo also offers insights for today's founders, spotlighting game-changing technologies like artificial intelligence.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[3:50] Underrepresented communities of founders and investors significantly influence the growth of the venture capital ecosystem

[9:26] How Gaingels provides universal access to the wealth creation potential of venture capital

[16:59] Cloud technology revolutionized starting companies in the last decade, while artificial intelligence is the current game changer

[24:09] Principles behind Gaingels investment approach

[28:53] Why founders should establish relationships with investors before pitching

The non-profit organization that Lorenzo is passionate about: StartOut

About Lorenzo Thione

Lorenzo Thione is a Managing Director at Gaingels. He is a serial entrepreneur and investor, known for his diverse contributions at the intersection of technology, art, commerce, and social impact. A Tony Award-winning Broadway producer for "Hadestown" and co-creator/producer of the George Takei musical "Allegiance," he also directed/produced its record-breaking 2016 film. Lorenzo co-founded Social Edge and previously co-founded Powerset (acquired by Microsoft in 2008) and Artify. A prominent LGBT advocate, he co-founded and is board chair emeritus of StartOut, a leading non-profit fostering LGBT entrepreneurship. Lorenzo is an active investor, board member, and advisor to numerous startups.

About Gaingels

Gaingels is a Vermont-based LGBTQIA+/Allies private investment syndicate, dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion within the venture capital ecosystem. With over 2000 individual members, including accredited investors, Gaingels actively supports innovation economy companies committed to building diverse and inclusive leadership. Their unique approach involves members contributing beyond financial investment, providing introductions, advice, and connections to portfolio companies. Some of the companies it has backed include: Shimmer, Leap AI, Base Operations, Overplay, Abbey Cross, Zette, Magma, Cambium, kinship among others.

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