Introducing Our 2022 Non-Profit Partner: Lunar Startups
The barriers to entry for minorities in tech need to be crumbled.
That is why we launched our MicroConf Diversity and Inclusion Pledge back in 2021, a nod to our responsibility to ensure that accessibility to our events and programming meet the needs of those that are most underserved in the tech community are address.
But we cannot stop there. That is why we are excited to announce our Non-Profit partnership program, dedicated to partnering, sponsoring, and supporting organizations that are committed to creating inroads for any person who wants to pursue software entrepreneurship as a career path.
MicroConf + Lunar Startups
Back in 2019, we were introduced to the team at Lunar Startups, the first inclusive accelerator in Minnesota, and immediately resonated with their tenacity, their mission, and their prowess in supporting founders of all walks of life.
Lunar Startups is pioneering inclusive entrepreneurial experiences, accelerating growth, connection, and innovation for CEOs who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), women, LGBTQ+, and non-binary. Lunar’s ambition is to create an unshakeable, holistic system of support for BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ entrepreneurs with a massive gravitational pull for capital, talent, and jobs to the Twin Cities region.
“MicroConf is an ideal partner to support our growing community of tech entrepreneurs... We know that supporting founders who are bootstrapping great companies is critical to meeting our ambition of creating $1 billion in economic impact and we're excited to drive that impact in partnership with MicroConf,” says Danielle Steer, Founding Executive Director of Lunar.
How You Can Help
You can support Lunar Startups financially, by offering your expertise, through donations, or by sponsoring their program.
MicroConf has made scholarship tickets available to founders in the Lunar Startup ecosystem throughout 2022 and looks forward to creating more value for these underrepresented founders for the year to come.
Xander Castro, Event Director for MicroConf, says that their partnership with Lunar Startups is meant to give back to the local communities hosting their events.
“As a queer, Latinx person, I understand that access to programming like MicroConf can make a major impact on the trajectory of founders traditionally underrepresented in tech. Lunar Startups has been paving the way to diversify the startup scene in the Twin Cities for years and we’re thrilled to provide scholarships, mentorship, and support to the Lunar Startups community in 2022.”