Brian Richardson

Brian Richardson is the CEO of StartOut, the national nonprofit that supports LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in building high-growth companies. Under his leadership, StartOut connects thousands of founders to critical resources—including capital, mentorship, and community—and works to increase LGBTQ+ representation in the innovation economy. Previously, Brian has held leadership roles at Lambda Legal, Google and the Democratic National Committee, and served as Deputy Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health and as press secretary in the U.S. Senate. He earned degrees from University of Chicago and UC Berkeley - Haas School of Business. He lives in Lakeview with his son.