Entrepreneurs Coming Out

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2010-05-20 16:39:00 UTC
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The echelons of business haven't historically been real friendly to...well, most anyone other than old white men. Even today, entrepreneurship tends to attract a disproportionate share of alpha males with competitive, type-A, competitive personalities. But as entrepreneurial activity takes on an increasingly important role in our economy and society, it has to be safe for all different types of people.

An article in the New York Times today tells the story of a network of gay entrepreneurs who are trying to make business and innovation feel safer for LGBT community members.

For the last year or so, a nonprofit group called StartOut has been holding mixers and other events that feature the voices of prominent gay entrepreneurs like boutique hotel chain founder Chip Conley. The events -- along with other StartOut programs including mentorship and even the facilitation of funding relationships -- are meant to provide aspirational models of LGBT entrepreneurs, as well as some of the resources to give young gay entrepreneurs a leg up.

According to the piece, StartOut is part of a larger trend towards openness and support for the gay business community. There are something like 1.2 million gay-owned businesses in the United States, and in the last decade groups like the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, university Out4Business clubs, and an annual "Reaching Out" conference have all sprung up to better support and publicize the work of this community.

This is all hugely positive activity, and goes way beyond simply not discriminating.

Entrepreneurship and business leadership require people to invest their whole person in their work. The experiences that we have and the perspectives that they give us shape our understanding of the world. It is, in fact, the differences in our experience more than the similarities that enable the insight and creativity at the root of innovation.

When we make an entire group fearful to share some significant piece of their experience, we not only disempower them, we also undercut their ability to translate that experience into new ideas and new businesses.

Photo credit: brainchildvn

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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