Two years ago - in collaboration with MBA Orlando and the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce - Rhodes Perry, host and creator of the popular weekly podcast, The Out Entrepreneur, took the show on the road for the Inaugural Live Recording & LGBTQ Marketplace Event on Monday, December 11, 2017. The purpose of the event aimed to amplify the power of #OutBosses, connect them with supplier diversity professionals, and inspire the next generation of LGBTQ people to take the entrepreneurial leap.

Thomas Sanchez, CEO + Founder of Social Driver, a business providing website, social media, and digital advertising solutions to global clients including Honda, Salesforce.com, and the American Heart Association. Thomas has been credited as one of the “most innovative people in Washington, DC” and a top “minority business leader” by the Washington Business Journal. His company’s collaborative culture and cutting-edge strategies have been featured in media appearances on CBS, the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and now, The Out Entrepreneur.

Ben Workman, is a creative entrepreneur, artist, and gallery owner who has been dubbed the Jackson Pollock of the 21st Century. He believes it is a person’s traumas that define the individual, and he releases his joys and pain into his artwork, thus becoming the storyteller of the creation. Ben’s art is a beacon for ending hate, bullying and intolerance in the world. Ben has received national and international recognition, and while exhibiting his work abroad in Dubai, he secured a documentary film deal for “The Jumper Maybach Story.”

Dara Barlin is really passionate about transforming toxic culture and creating spaces where people can feel awesome at work, so that they can do really great stuff in the world. She recently started DARE Consulting to help organizations rethink how they treat their employees, and figure out how to make trust a center-piece of their workplace environment. Dara's written a book and several articles on organizational change and organized dozens of campaigns for social progress including A Big Project, which brought people together from 97 countries to identify a common blueprint for global change.

Kronda Adair is the Founder and CEO of Karvel Digital, and recently celebrated her 5th year in business! She has launched Working Websites, her organization’s flagship 6-week online course to teach the basics of online marketing to non-technical business owners. When Kronda’s not working, she can be found enjoying time at home with her wife and two cats, reading dead-tree books, riding one of her five bicycles, or enjoying the postcard vistas of the state of Oregon.

Reverend Catharine Clarenbach, founder and creator of the Way of the River, helps people more fully connect to their own deepest, wisest selves. Her business offers spiritual accompaniment, coaching, preaching, and courses available through her website, Facebook community, and newsletter, Journey Through Wisdom. It was a pleasure learning more about Catharine’s approach to business, life, and her spiritual traditions during this intriguing interview.

With over 17 years in LGBTQ services and social justice education, Lyndon provides training and technical assistance for healthcare providers, educational institutions, businesses, and organizations, as well as workshops designed for queer and trans communities. Lyndon's background also includes 10 year as a firefighter/EMT, running a small art and t-shirt business, and founding and directing a number of youth leaderships camps. Lyndon serves on the Board of Directors for CRUX, the country's largest LGBTQ rock climbing organization, and can often be found scaling rock faces around the country.

Jaiden Love is an author, a soul alignment coach, and the Founder of Held and Heard, a professional cuddling business. In 2017, Jaiden published his first book detailing his first year living as a transgender man. He is passionate about the well-being of humanity, and he believes everyone is unique and has a purpose on this planet. Jaiden is committed to inspiring anyone he comes in contact with to take steps towards living their truth. In alignment with his purpose, Jaiden has now opened up himself, his business, and his life to educate those he encounters.

Lake Perriguey owns Law Works LLC, a full service law firm in downtown Portland, which handles many types of legal matters, including civil rights litigation. Lake is probably best known in the Beaver State for bringing the federal lawsuit that established marriage equality for same-sex couples in 2013. Last year, he handled the first successful action for non-binary legal recognition in the United States by pushing the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles to acknowledge a third gender marker on all licenses and IDs in the state. Lake’s been in business as an independent solo lawyer with no staff for the past 10 years.

Hailing from a Military Dad and a Recovering-Catholic-Proudly-Sandra-Dee-Mom, Amy Jo Goddard had no other choice but to become a sex educator just to sail the shaky waters of human experience and help her family survive. Actually they don’t really take sex advice from her. But thousands of others have—Amy Jo is author of Woman on Fire: Nine Elements to Wake up Your Erotic Energy, Personal Power and Sexual Intelligence and co-author of the best-selling classic Lesbian Sex Secrets for Men. She earned her Master’s degree in Human Sexuality Education at New York University and has been teaching and speaking about feminism and sexuality for over two decades.

Nico is the founder of Scarlet Moon and Integrative Mysticism, a YouTube channel. He started his business 5 years ago, and connects fellow astrologers and tarot card readers from around the globe through his virtual communities and in-person retreats. With over 5 million YouTube views, Nico humbly shares that all he wanted to do when he initially started his YouTube channel was to reach out and connect with other spiritual/pagan people. Learn more about Nico’s success in building an online community in this episode.

In honor of celebrating Trans Day of Visibility, I wanted to highlight some of the many incredible transgender and non-binary entrepreneurs. Over the past 16 months, I have had the pleasure of interviewing some of these incredible out bosses, and on this very special day, I encourage you do give each one of these episodes a listen, especially if you’re seeking inspiration to lead a more authentic, self-actualized life, or if you’re trying to create a business that aligns with your life’s purpose. I promise you’ll walk away inspired to live a life where you can be your authentic selves 100% of the time. After listening to some of these incredible episodes, consider reading through a post I wrote on a few years ago about the intersections of being transgender and an entrepreneur.

Perry Cohen realized a lifelong dream of combining his love of the outdoors, his commitment to social justice, his own trans & queer identity, and his professional life when he founded The Venture Out Project, a business that brings the queer community together to experience the beauty and fun of the wilderness with trips run by queer people for queer people. Perry also serves as the lead facilitator and trainer for the Venture Out Project’s gender and diversity training program, where he has presented in front of audiences at UC Davis, The University of Maryland, Colby College, Middlebury College, The University of New Mexico, and other institutions. Perry has two children, a partner, and a chocolate lab, and calls the hills and trails of Western Massachusetts home.

Matthew VanHorn co-founded LGBTQ Entrepreneur, a coaching business aimed to support rainbow family members take the entrepreneurial leap. Matthew started his first coaching business 7 years ago where he supported gay, bisexual, and queer men gain more confidence and self-love so that they could improve their intimate lives. He and his partner Caleb both experienced great success building their own businesses, and now they work together helping people in the LGBTQ community gain the confidence, clarity, and courage it takes to make a big difference with the work they do.

Sign-up for the show's newsletter, and receive exclusive podcast updates from the show's host. When you sign-up, you'll have the chance to access bonus content from interviews with inspiring LGBTQ business leaders like Bob Witeck, Andrea Barrica, Molly Cameron, and Eduardo Placer to name only a few of our incredible guests. You'll also be the first to know about webinars, workshops, seminars, and live podcast events headed to a city near you. Thanks for supporting the show, and as always, keep being your authentic selves 100% of the time!

John Graham is the CEO & co-founder of iObjx (i-objects), a NEW entertainment lifeform. His company utilizes artificial intelligence to automatically assemble an event’s photos and videos into an automatic cinematic experience during a live event. As a seasoned start-up founder, John started and self-funded his first business from 1994-2005, and as a marketing guru he has led the national marketing for brands including McDonald’s, Sony, M&M Mars, and DeVry University. I had the pleasure of meeting John through the StartOut online network for LGBTQ entrepreneurs, and I’m thrilled to share his entrepreneurial journey.

Molly Cameron is an American professional cyclo-cross racing champion winning elite competitions including the 2004 Cross Crusade single speed series. She is the only out transgender athlete to compete in a UCI cyclo-cross world cup. When she’s not racing, she’s runs the Portland Bicycle Studio, a business she founded in 2001. In this interview, we talk about her pioneering efforts to cultivate a more gender inclusive industry.

An award-winning speechwriter, Elaine Bennett helps leading corporate executives tell their stories memorably. She also teaches writing and storytelling skills to entrepreneurs and others who want to become leaders. A great believer in the benefits of writing every day, Elaine runs writing challenges to help people start their own writing practice. Elaine’s daily writing streak currently stands at 673 days. Sometimes she's also award-winning cabaret singer Elaine St. George, by one account the first out lesbian to do a cabaret show in NYC, way back in the ‘90s.

Ty Walrod is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bright Funds, an organization that helps leading businesses like Cisco, VMware, Box, and Campbell's Soup Company power their charitable giving. Ty Also serves on the boards of Sustainable Silicon Valley and Startup & Tech Mixer, and he is an active member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Founders Network. Ty’s a real mover and shaker when it comes to blending business with social responsibility, and we are so lucky to have him on the show.

Thank you, MBA Orlando, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and the greater Orlando business community for your support in helping launch The Out Entrepreneur's inaugural live podcast recording and LGBTQ marketplace event. With your support, the event was an enormous success! The stories shared about the power of LGBTQ businesses offered encouragement and support for those of us in the rainbow family, and to our corporate allies, especially those who work in the world of supplier diversity.