ABOUT THE FUND
The Main Street Entrepreneurs Seed Fund supports Georgia State student entrepreneurs, recent alumni and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures.
THE LO.
Laura Mitchell, Co-Founder & CEO
Graduate Student
lmitchell58@student.gsu.edu
Jessica Duveen, Co-Founder & COO
Community Member
jjduveen@gmail.com
PROBLEM
Despite an estimated 21 million females
identifying as LGBTQ, there are very
few spaces for us to connect on or offline.
SOLUTION
The LO is a membership-based
hybrid social and professional
community for queer (LGBTQ) women.
BUSINESS MODEL
Tiered, subscription-based memberships.
We have plans to expand and offer paid
listings in a business directory and
a jobs directory in the future.
TARGET MARKET
Professional LGBTQ women between
28 – 45 actively looking for community.
KEY COMPETITORS
Her, Lex
USE OF FUNDS
50% Marketing,
30% Product Development,
20% Legal,
What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
Building a better world by combining your imagination, heart, and grit.
Why is your long-term goal for the company?
Our long-term goal for the company is to expand our reach nationally and then across the globe. We want to be able to connect queer women everywhere it’s possible, and have millions of members. We also want to work towards becoming a B-Corp business and maintain our social impact mission.
What advice can you offer to entrepreneurs?
Others may not be able to see your vision until you build it–don’t let that stop you. Trust your gut.
What role has Atlanta played in your entrepreneurial journey?
Atlanta is for the bright-eyed, the creative, the dreamers. Every step of the way since starting The LO., we have felt the support of Atlanta, particularly the start-up network here. Everyone seems to support entrepreneurship here, especially entrepreneurship on a mission to make the world better. From Start It Up Georgia to the TechStars Female Founders Catalyst Program, we have felt the Atlanta love and the way it supports diverse founders. I honestly can’t think of a better place to start The LO. than the Capital of the New South.
What is the most challenging part of entrepreneurship?
The most challenging part of entrepreneurship is pushing past the first part: believing that we can be and are the people to build this. Once you are there, you can push past the waves of imposter syndrome, bootstrapping, and mental fatigue on days when your creativity is just zapped. Beyond that, I believe that it’s about continuing to re-inspire yourself with what you’re doing so that you have the endurance and determination to keep going. I’ve found the things that help the most with maintaining your motivation in the start-up journey are: having a co-founder, being around other start-up founders/companies, and taking self-care breaks even before you realize they are needed.
Share a fun fact about yourself?
I set a goal to travel to 30 countries by the age of 30, and actually did it!
FOUNDER INTERVIEW
COMING SOON
ABOUT THE FUND
The Marcus Foundation supports Georgia State student entrepreneurs, recent alumni and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures.