Out in Tech

Out in Tech
Name	Out in Tech
Formation	2013
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Region served	United States; International
Leader title	CEO
Leader name	Todd Sears

Out in Tech is a nonprofit organization that connects LGBTQ+ professionals with the technology industry through networking, mentorship, events, and advocacy. Founded in 2013 in San Francisco, it operates chapters, runs fellowship and scholarship programs, and partners with corporations, foundations, and cultural institutions to increase LGBTQ+ representation across the tech sector. The organization collaborates with industry leaders, educational institutions, and community groups to create pipelines for career development and leadership.

History

The organization was founded in 2013 amid a wave of industry-focused nonprofits that emerged after the rise of companies such as Facebook, Google, Apple Inc., Twitter, and LinkedIn. Early supporters included executives from Y Combinator startups, alumni of Stanford University, Harvard University, and former staffers from White House tech initiatives. Initial programming drew on models used by GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, and The Trevor Project to combine advocacy with professional development. By the late 2010s the group had expanded alongside workforce diversity efforts at firms like Microsoft, IBM, Intel, and Salesforce. Throughout the 2020s its growth reflected broader dialogues involving organizations such as ACLU, Lambda Legal, NAACP, and cultural partners including Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, and Smithsonian Institution.

Mission and Activities

The organization states a mission to increase visibility, recruitment, and retention of LGBTQ+ people in technology workplaces, aligning with corporate diversity initiatives at companies like Amazon (company), Adobe Inc., Cisco Systems, Oracle Corporation, and PayPal. Activities include mentorship programs modeled after university career centers at Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and professional networks such as SWE and NSBE. The group engages with labor and policy stakeholders such as Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Human Rights Watch, and advocacy efforts around laws debated in statehouses like those in California, New York (state), Texas, and Florida. It also supports scholarship recipients drawn from conservatories and schools including Berklee College of Music and art programs tied to Rhode Island School of Design.

Programs and Events

Programming has included speaker series featuring leaders from Netflix, Spotify, Snap Inc., and Stripe, as well as bootcamps partnered with institutions like General Assembly and Coursera. Annual gatherings have attracted keynote speakers from Microsoft Research, OpenAI, NVIDIA, DeepMind, Palantir Technologies, and policy panels involving participants affiliated with Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations, and Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The organization runs mentorship cohorts similar to programs at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and fellowship efforts comparable to Echoing Green and Schmidt Futures. Hackathons and career fairs have invited recruiters from Uber Technologies, Airbnb, Zoom Video Communications, Dropbox, and nonprofit partners like Code.org, Girls Who Code, and Techstars.

Chapters and Membership

Chapters operate in metropolitan areas including San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Texas, Boston, Washington, D.C., Denver, London, Toronto, and Berlin. Membership models resemble professional associations such as IEEE, ACM, and alumni networks at Yale University and Princeton University, offering tiered access to mentorship, job boards, and local meetups. Regional chapters coordinate with LGBTQ+ centers like The Center (New York City), Los Angeles LGBT Center, and community organizations including Stonewall National Museum & Archives and Legacy Project. Volunteer leadership draws from corporate ERGs at Facebook, Google, Apple Inc., Salesforce, and academic clubs at University of California, Los Angeles.

Partnerships and Impact

Strategic partners have included major technology firms such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple Inc., Amazon (company), and independent foundations like Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation, and MacArthur Foundation. Collaborative projects have been launched with media outlets including Wired (magazine), The New York Times, The Verge, and Vox (website), as well as arts organizations like Tate Modern and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The organization measures impact through placement metrics similar to those published by LinkedIn, fellowship outcomes akin to Rhodes Scholarship reporting, and diversity dashboards used by Glassdoor and Indeed. Alumni have gone on to leadership roles at startups backed by Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Accel (company), and positions in public service with offices in City Hall (San Francisco), New York City Mayor's Office, and nonprofit leadership in groups like GLAAD and The Trevor Project.

Governance and Funding

Governance is overseen by a board comprising executives, founders, and nonprofit leaders with profiles similar to board members at Khan Academy, Mozilla Foundation, Mozilla Corporation, National Science Foundation, and corporate boards at PayPal, Intel, and Salesforce. Funding sources include corporate sponsorships from Google, Microsoft, Amazon (company), foundation grants from Ford Foundation and Gates Foundation, ticketed event revenue, and donations processed through fiscal sponsors akin to Tides Foundation and 501(c)(3) infrastructures. Financial reporting practices mirror nonprofit standards advocated by Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and regulatory filings with agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service.

Category:LGBT professional organizations Category:Technology organizations in the United States