Lorenzo Thione on Representation and Addressing Funding Imbalance

Moving to the United States from Milan in 2001—mere months before September 11—Lorenzo Thione was quickly forced to reckon with life’s lack of guarantees. The only life worth living was an authentic one. Coming out was a must, and he never looked back.

Lorenzo Thione is an entrepreneur, technologist, venture investor, and producer making an impact across several organizations: Gaingels, Sing Out, Louise! Productions, The Social Edge, and StartOut. He is a resolute LGBTQ community advocate and dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and stories.

In this episode, Lorenzo discusses co-founding StartOut and managing Gaingels, and their respective commitments to LGBTQ entrepreneurs. He reflects on the significance of receiving funding and value from a diverse source and the immense impact of representation. In addition, Lorenzo shares insights into selling a company and assembling a diverse board of directors and leadership team.

A true multi-hyphenate, Lorenzo speaks with Eric about his journey developing a Broadway musical alongside George Takei. Weaving his theatrical pursuits alongside his entrepreneurial advice, Lorenzo shares the profound inspiration for Allegiance and an exciting announcement about the future of the musical.

• (0:39) – Entrepreneur at heart
• (5:13) – Computer science
• (7:53) – Feeling different
• (11:27) – The power of representation
• (14:59) – LGBTQ advocacy and StartOut
• (19:18) – Gaingels
• (26:44) – Going beyond VC
• (28:46) – Diversifying a board of directors
• (34:20) – The road to Broadway with Allegiance
• (47:24) – What’s the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur?
• (49:54) – Selling a company

Eric Satz—entrepreneur, serial investor, lover of hot peppers—is the founder and CEO of Alto. The idea behind Alto was born out of a problem. Eric found a clear need to give people more control over their investments (and investment opportunities) in a simple, streamlined way and created Alto to make these opportunities available to all investors, not just the ultra-wealthy or institutional investors. 

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Podcast episode production by Dante32.