StartOut Announces Winners for 2014 StartOut Awards

San Francisco - StartOut, national nonprofit dedicated to empowering lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) entrepreneurs and business leaders, announced today the nominees for its 4th Annual StartOut Awards, presented nationally by. By recognizing and honoring business leaders for outstanding representation 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 of 500 Startups, globally renowned angel investor, and community ally, receiving the Advocate Award, recognizing a champion for LGBT business leadership

- Amy Errett, entrepreneur, 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, the legendary advocate, actor, and spokesman receiving the Leadership Award, recognizing someone who has demonstrated the 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 diversity of this year's recipients-a legendary actor andadvocate, an allied investor and startup industry icon, an inspiring CEO committed to social impact, and an up and coming entrepreneur-demonstrates one of StartOut's most fundamental values: that our diversity doesn't define us, it empowers us."

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 and dinner. Event proceeds help benefit StartOut's 60+ annual events dedicated to empowering LGBT and allied entrepreneurs.

The names of high profile attendees and presenters will be announced soon.
StartOut's corporate partners include: Silicon Valley Bank, Bank of America, Pillsbury, Here Media, Perkins Coie, The Social Edge, Morrison Foerster, Lowenstein Sandler, IBM, Google, and grants from the Kauffman 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 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