OUR TEAM
Led by Ben Stokes, our team brings a wealth of experience, passion, and dedication. With an impressive track record of successful exits, investments, and recognition in the VC community, we're well-equipped to identify and nurture the next generation of LGBTQ+ unicorns.
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Ben Stokes (he/him/Ben) is the Founding Partner of Chasing Rainbows and a prolific leader in changing the funding landscape for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. He has been internationally recognized for his LGBTQ+ advocacy work and his commitment to changing the VC funding landscape.
In 2024, Ben was a mainstage speaker at SXSW, and was named one of 100 American Dreamers by the Milken Institute. On top of this, Chasing Rainbows was named by Fast Company as a top Impact Fund, and was named on Impact Assets IA50 list. In 2023, Ben was named 40 under 40 Rising Stars of Venture by the Venture Capital Journal, and named 40 under 40 LGBTQ+ Pride Leaders by Business Equality Magazine. In 2022, Alumni Spotlight named him in the Top 100 Investors and was recognized by the NVCA as one of the Top LGBTQ+ Investors Making an Impact. In addition to this, in 2021, Ben spoke at the UN General Assembly on Living with Purpose, has been a guest speaker for the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Centre, British Government and gave the Graduation Address for his Alma Alter after being awarded Young Alumni of the Year 2021 for the University of Tasmania.
On top of his work at Chasing Rainbows, Ben sits on a number of NFP boards, including the Victory Institute and StartOut. Prior to founding Chasing Rainbows, Ben previously founded SocialTable, a social platform used on every continent, which he exited in 2021. Using his own experience as an LGBTQ+ founder of color, he has been an active angel investor and advisor for 20+ companies, successfully achieving 2 exits and multiple markups for invested companies, and has been featured on a number of international podcasts and speaking platforms.
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Leigh has spent her career focused on allocating capital for a more equitable and sustainable world.
She's currently a member of AngelList's Venture team where she is responsible for managing 30 early stage venture funds investing across the technology, consumer, finance, and climate sectors.
Previously, Leigh was an ESG Associate at private equity firm, TPG Global, where she focused on the firm’s $14B impact funds, Rise and Rise Climate, covering deals across healthcare, education, financial inclusion, and climate. In this capacity, she completed pre-investment ESG due diligence and managed portfolio company engagement on topics such as ESG governance, GHG measurement and reduction, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI), and ethical supply chain.
As a Principal at Chasing Rainbows, she supports fundraising and LP engagement, pre-investment due diligence, and founder advisory initiatives.
Leigh graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a BA in International Relations, and minors in Human Rights and Modern Languages
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Amanda (she/her/hers) has spent her career at organizations championing diverse founders and funders, from StartOut, where she helped scale operations to support founders, as the New York Chapter Lead for SoGal Foundation, and as a Community Manager at Parity Partners.
She was also an early Product Manager at Unicorn fintech startup Republic, where she led investor experience for the equity crowdfunding platform.
She has a dual background in technology and the arts, with a BS in Engineering at Stanford University and an MA in Journalism from NYU. She uses this “split” cultural viewpoint to inform her work and investments at Chasing Rainbows.
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Javanni Waugh (they/she/he) is a Venture Partner at Chasing Rainbows,
and leverages their extensive background in transaction strategy and
valuations to evaluate potential investments, mentor emerging
founders, and foster a supportive community within the fund. Their
work is pivotal in promoting diversity and inclusion in the venture
capital ecosystem, aiming to create a more equitable landscape for
LGBTQ+ business leaders.
Outside of Chasing Rainbows, Javanni is a Consultant at EY-Parthenon
in New York City, specializing in M&A and divestiture strategy
planning and execution. Their professional journey is marked by
significant achievements, including being featured on the Yahoo
Finance LGBT+ Future Leaders list, which recognizes influential LGBTQ+
professionals globally and leading the Out for Undergraduate Business
Conference. With a rich heritage from Jamaica, Javanni's diverse
experiences from working across continents, coupled with their passion
for community and culture, enrich their approach to mentorship and
leadership both within and beyond the business world.
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Nicole (she/her/hers) is the Vice President of Innovation & Venture Strategy at World Business Chicago, the city of Chicago's economic development arm, where her team connects entrepreneurs with resources, programs, and capital to help them scale and grow. She is passionate about increasing full and meaningful economic inclusion for women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community across the Midwest.
Nicole also serves the Chicago Programming Board of StartOut, specifically supporting LGBTQ+ founders. She is a Class of 2025 fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago's Signature Fellows program and a SXSW Pitch advisory board member for 2024 and 2025. Formerly, she was the co-chair of The Gray Matter Experience’s associate board.
Nicole holds a degree in Sociology and Spanish from Augustana College. She speaks fluent Spanish and is working on her Portuguese. When not fighting for a more equitable tech ecosystem, you can find Nicole biking around Chicago with her mini poodle, Marcy.
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Jamie Gorman is a former management consultant and corporate exec with experience as a venture-backed co-founder. As Managing Partner of Left Lane Ventures and a self-funded searcher, Jamie looked for a great SMB/lower middle market company to buy.
Jamie has spent 25 years as an entrepreneur, telecom executive leader and management consultant and advisor delivering value creation through growth strategies, partnerships, products and professional services.
As a strategic investor, advisor and business leader, Jamie is recognized for his success in understanding complex and critical business challenges and creating solutions that enable organizations to thrive. He has led product, marketing, strategy, finance and business development teams and am guided by his strong belief that leadership is about uniting teams of diverse, creative and determined people inspired by a common vision.
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H. Caleb Simmons is a writer, startup community organizer, and blockchain enthusiast. With a background in politics and government, Caleb is highly interested in impact investing and hopes to make a positive impact on the world.
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Robbie McKendrick (he/him) is an accomplished entrepreneur and business strategist with a rich background in startups and business founding. An alumnus of the London School of Economics (LSE) and a soon-to-be MBA graduate from Oneday, Robbie combines academic excellence with practical expertise across multiple industries.
As a Venture Capital Fellow of the Newton Venture Program—an initiative aligned with London Business School (LBS) and HSBC Innovation Banking—Robbie has gained deep insights into the venture capital landscape. He brings this expertise to Chasing Rainbows, where he leverages his diverse background to identify and nurture groundbreaking ventures that champion inclusivity and drive social impact.
With extensive experience in software sales, health and fitness, and innovative fashion technology research, Robbie offers a unique, multifaceted perspective. Passionate about empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs, he is dedicated to fostering innovation within the startup ecosystem. At Chasing Rainbows, Robbie applies his strategic vision and entrepreneurial spirit to support startups in achieving their growth objectives while promoting diversity and inclusion.