StartOut was founded in 2009 as a nonprofit for empowering LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs by four men: Joe DiPasquale, Lorenzo Thione, Bryan Janeczko, and Darren Spedale. The network has more than 15,000 members nationwide.
DiPasquale founded Regroup Mass Notification, which specializes in developing systems for mass communication. He's currently the CEO of the cryptocurrency hedge fund BitBull Capital.
Thione is the CEO for influencer platform The Social Edge. He also helped found Microsoft-acquired company Powerset, and is a Broadway musical producer.
Janeczko is active in the food-tech sector. He founded a food startup incubator called Wicked Start, and launched one of the earliest subscription-based meal delivery services called Nu-Kitchen, which was later sold to Nutrisystem.
Spedale cofounded Family by Design, a resource for the co-parenting community.