Rainbow Startup Mafia is SF's home for LGBTQ+ founders, operators, investors, and startup folks who are tired of being the only queer person in the room — and ready to change that.
Whether you're hunting for your next role, your next hire, your next investor, or your next deal, we've got a room for you. Actually, we've got the room for you — filled with people who get it, get you, and genuinely want to see you win.
🏳️🌈 Founders
Building something? Build it with people who have your back from day one.
⚡ Operators
Looking for your next role — or the perfect hire? This is your talent pool.
💸 Investors
Deal flow from founders you'd actually want to back. Warm intros, real relationships.
What We Do
Startup Sips 🍹
We host Startup Sips — low-key gatherings where the conversations are real, the drinks are good, and you leave with connections that actually go somewhere.
No name-tag speed networking. No awkward elevator pitches to strangers. Just queer startup folks, good cocktails, and the kind of casual candor that only happens when you're finally in a room full of your people.
Past Sips have sparked co-founder matches, angel checks, and honestly some very good situationships. We're not keeping score, but the outcomes speak for themselves.
Intimate venues across SF — never a hotel ballroom
A crowd that's actually mixed: founders, VCs, operators, angels
Real talk about fundraising, burnout, and building while queer
Drinks that slap. Vibes that slap harder.
A group chat you'll actually use afterward
Why It Matters
Startups run on networks. And for too long, the best networks have been built in spaces that weren't built for us — country clubs, golf courses, frat houses turned VC firms. Rainbow Startup Mafia is the counter-move.
Warm Intros, Not Cold DMs
Every connection here comes with context and trust built in. This is the network that opens doors before you even knock.
Safe to Be Fully Yourself
No code-switching. No wondering if your pronouns will be respected. Just show up as you are — that's the whole point.
Queer Founders Are Building
We're not a support group — we're a launchpad. The ambition here is real, and so is the collective firepower behind it.
Community That Compounds
The people you meet at Startup Sips become advisors, investors, co-founders, and friends. The ROI on belonging is surprisingly measurable.
Ready to find your people? Join us.
Drop your email below and we'll keep you in the loop on upcoming Startup Sips, community news, and whatever else we cook up. No spam — we promise we have better things to do.
📬 Stay in the Loop
Get invite-only event access, community updates, and the occasional hot take on startup culture — delivered only when we have something worth saying.
"Because our people know people." — Rainbow Startup Mafia Est. San Francisco 🌁🏳️🌈
Rainbow Startup Mafia is a community — not a corporation. We're queer-founded, community-run, and built with love in San Francisco, California. All founders, operators, investors, and allies welcome. Come as you are.