Nilay Patel talks with venture capitalist Arlan Hamilton. Arlan founded VC fund Backstage Capital in 2015 and focuses on investing in “underestimated founders,” many of whom are people of color, women and LGBTQ. They discuss the importance of representation in tech and business, how the VC world works, and why Arlan is hopeful about the future at Backstage.
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Feb 26
Inside Xbox's executive shakeup
Today, we’re talking about the future of Xbox. Phil Spencer, a two-time Decoder guest who’s led Xbox for more than a decade, is stepping down. But in a shocking twist, his deputy long-assumed successor Sarah Bond is also out too, and the Xbox division is now in the hands of an As ... Show More
43m 8s
Feb 23
Hank Green lets loose on YouTube, billionaires, and algorithms
Today, I’m talking with Hank Green, a longtime friend of Decoder and the co-founder and now former owner of Complexly, an online education company he started with his brother John in 2012. I say former owner because Hank and John have just converted Complexly into a nonprofit and ... Show More
1h 11m
Nov 2021
How VCs Raise Money w/ Lo Toney
<p>Lo is the Founding Managing Partner of Plexo Capital, which is an institutional investment firm he incubated and spun out from GV (Google Ventures).</p><p>On this episode, Lo talks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about how VCs raise capital, the myth of Silicon Valley, and how legi ... Show More
31m 56s
Jun 2024
Don’t Fundraise Unless You Have to, But if You do, Look for this in your Investors - with Sonia W. at VentureSouq | The Perfect Pitch Podcast Ep5
<p>We were thrilled to speak with Sonia Weymuller, one of Dubai’s most active investors who started her VC career by launching the largest angel investor syndicate before professionalizing the firm to become <a href='https://lucidityinsights.com/investors/venturesouq-63'>VentureS ... Show More
41m 16s
Nov 2020
#99 The Friends & Family Gap
In VC, before you pitch investors, you’re expected to get some initial cash from friends and family. Getting this money is a critical first step for a new startup. But what if your friends and family aren’t wealthy? Two founders tell us what that experience is like, and how it’s ... Show More
29m 18s
Dec 2020
ZigZag: Arlan Hamilton says capitalism is still the great equalizer
"Today we're sharing an episode from another TED podcast: ZigZag, hosted by Manoush Zomorodi. In 2018, Backstage Capital's Arlan Hamilton was on the cover of Fast Company magazine. The headline was irresistible: homeless, gay, Black woman becomes hot-shot Silicon Valley investor. ... Show More
43m 3s
Apr 2022
1954: The Boston Based VC Fund With 15 Exits and 3 Unicorns
Flint Capital is a Boston-based international VC fund that has raised $250M in two funds and announced that it closed its second fund. Its portfolio includes 45 companies like Flo, Socure, Walkme, CyberX, Cyolo, and 15 successful exits, 3 of which are unicorns. But what is the st ... Show More
31m 44s
<p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/ArlanWasHere">Arlan Hamilton</a> is the Founder and Managing Partner @ <a href= "https://www.backstagecapital.com/together">Backstage Capital</a>, the seed fund that has paved the way investing exclusively in startups t ... Show More
