Some venture capitalists are trying to change the equation and are backing minority founders to help them scale their companies and create jobs within their communities. The largest cities that lack any LGBTQ+ founders are Orlando, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Birmingham, Alabama. One organization trying such solutions is Chasing Rainbows, a venture capital fund that works with LGBTQ+ founders to connect them with capital. Stokes said the LGBTQ+ community historically has experienced some form of discrimination when trying to access these types of services. An angel investor himself, Stokes founded Chasing Rainbows in 2021 after recognizing that underrepresented founders are seen as riskier investments.

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Persons: Charlotte ,, Brian Richardson, Richardson, Ben Stokes, Stokes, outsized, Bill No Organizations: Gallup, CNBC, StartOut, University of California Locations: StartOut's State, San Francisco , New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Austin , Texas, Orlando , Florida, Charlotte, Charlotte , North Carolina, Birmingham , Alabama, Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, Massachusetts, New York, California, Berkeley