Designtrepreneurs

The Designtrepreneurs series was created for designers, entrepreneurs, and the LGBT community to intersect, connect, and share stories. It’s a magically delicious trifecta of passion, professionalism, and perseverance.

Design and entrepreneurship are parallel practices: we go where the world can’t yet see, we bring form to things we believe need to exist. Similarly, the LGBT community has always questioned the way things are; our difference is but one of our strategic advantages.

I’m grateful the panelists were empowered to tell stories they’ve been longing to tell. Recode covered the first installment. Forbes got the second.

Designtrepreneurs #1 — February 26, 2014, WeWork Soma, San Francisco. Aaron Zinman (Empirical), Lotus Child (Arson), Nick Hodulik (GoPro)

Designtrepreneurs #2 — June 18, 2014, Optimizely, San Francisco. Nelson Gonzalez (Declara), Michael Berl (Uber for Business), Katie Rinkevich (Optimizely)

Designtrepreneurs #3 — October 28, 2014, School of Visual Arts, New York. Moderated by Debbie Millman, with Ben Watson (Herman Miller), Mary Taylor (Salt & Olive), Thomas Page McBee, Ryan Fitzgibbon (Hello Mr.)

Designtrepreneurs #4 — June 9, 2015, WeWork Soma, San Francisco. Steve Daniels (Able Health), Billie Mandel, David Bingham (Gap, Inc.), Nicole Jacek (NJ(L.A.)), Mendel Chuang (Smoopa)