RECORDING: Meet These LGBTQIA+ Founders
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Are you an LGBTQIA+ founder looking to get your startup off the ground? Then you will want to tune into this roundtable discussion produced in partnership with StartOut - their mission is to increase the number, diversity, and impact of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and amplify their stories to drive the economic empowerment of the community. For this discussion we'll be joined by Demetrius Curry, CEO & Co-Founder of College Cash; James Silva, CEO of ConciergeBot; Ashleigh Wilson, Founder & CEO of AuditMate who will be discussing how they started their own businesses and the lessons learned along the way. This talk will be moderated by PowerToFly Director of Marketing & Community Lauren Hagerty and questions are welcome!
Demetrius Curry (He/Him)
Demetrius Curry grew up on the South Side of Chicago, shuttling back and forth between a difficult family situation and foster homes. He was a smart but unmotivated student who eventually dropped out of high school and spent some time on the streets, homeless and hustling to survive as a self-described “street-level entrepreneur.”
His life began to change after he joined the Marines Corps, and after leaving the Marines Demetrius eventually earned his GED, and attended Northern Illinois University. Eventually he began working in the financial-services industry in New York, climbing his way up from the customer-service department of a Wall Street firm. Stints in advertising and benefits management followed before embarking on his entrepreneurial path.
His startup, College Cash, allows brands to petition users to create photo and video marketing content highlighting their product or service, with the wrinkle being that content creators are paid by the brands in the form of credits that go directly toward paying down their student loan debt.
He credits his participation in StartOuts’ Growth Lab program with becoming completely comfortable in being himself and not shying away from opportunities to advocate for both minority and LGBTQ+ founders.
James SIlva (He/Him)
James Silva (he/him) is the Founder and CEO of ConciergeBot, an artificially intelligent virtual concierge for travel, hospitality and customer service for SMS. WhatsApp and voice. Prior to founding ConciergeBot, James earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Stanford University and spent his career in software engineering and product management leadership roles at companies such as eBay, Adobe and Expedia.
Ashleigh Wilson (She/They)
Ashleigh Wilson (She/They) is the Founder and CEO of AuditMate, a vertical transportation software and management company. AuditMate is on a mission to empower building owners and managers with data driven maintenance auditing products that radically simplify vendor management and selection. Ashleigh believes that in order to do well, we must start by doing right and is proving this through making vertical transportation management accessible and simple.