Ben Stokes

Overview

Ben Stokes is a British cricketer and venture capitalist. He is the Founding Partner of Chasing Rainbows, an early-stage investment fund that focuses on investing in companies founded by members of the LGBTQ+ community, promoting greater access to capital for underrepresented founders. As a fund manager with experience in both startups and corporations, Ben has been instrumental in providing opportunities for LGBTQ+ founders to secure early funding. In recognition of his achievements, Ben has been named one of the '40 Under 40 Rising Stars of Venture' by the Venture Capital Journal and one of the '40 Under 40 LGBTQ+ Pride Leaders' by Business Equality Magazine in 2023. He was also recognized as one of the 'Top LGBTQ+ Investors Making an Impact' by the NVCA and listed in the 'Top 100 Investors' by Alumni Spotlight in 2022. In 2021, he delivered a speech on 'Living with Purpose' at the UN General Assembly and received the 'Young Alumni of the Year 2021' award from the University of Tasmania, where he gave the graduation address. Ben is actively involved in various non-profit boards, including co-chairing StartOut's Investor Board. Before establishing Chasing Rainbows, he founded SocialTable, a social platform that is used globally. As an LGBTQ+ founder of color, he has actively invested in companies led by underrepresented founders and has helped many of them through their exit or next investment phase, providing the foundation for Chasing Rainbows' philosophy. Ben serves as a mentor through various organizations, including the Australian Landing Pad in San Francisco, Techstars in Washington DC, Out in Tech in New York, River City Labs in Brisbane, and Sunramp at the Sunshine Coast University, among others, assisting founders in navigating the path to entrepreneurial success. He is a Material Change Institute Fellow, has an Executive MBA, and attended UC Berkeley's Venture Capital Program. He was also selected to be a part of both the StartOut Growth Lab, a start-up incubator located in San Francisco, and RBL1, based in Austin. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, he worked at Oracle and Salesforce. Ben grew up on a farm on the North-West Coast of Tasmania after being adopted from an orphanage in Sri Lanka by a loving Tasmanian family. He is dedicated to creating a world built on radical inclusivity, where diversity of knowledge and experience is celebrated, which is a cornerstone of Chasing Rainbows' vision.

Investment Focus

• LGBTQ+ founded companies
• Underrepresented founders
• Early-stage investments

Portfolio Companies