Get All Access for $5/mo

This Unlikely VC Has Invested $4 Million in Underrepresented Founders Women, people of color and LGBTQ founders receive less than 10 percent of venture capital. Arlan Hamilton is changing that.

By Alice

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Known as a "mad scientist" to her friends and family and an outsider to many Silicon Valley venture capitalists, Arlan Hamilton doesn't fit any mold. And that's exactly what makes her brilliant.

Hamilton never expected to become the founder of a serious VC firm, but just a few years after leaving a small Texas town with a tenuous bank balance, she has done just that. Today, Hamilton's Backstage Capital has invested more than $4 million in 100 companies led by women, people of color and LGBTQ founders and is currently raising a $36 million fund to invest in black female founders.

In this candid episode of Role Breakers, Hamilton dishes about getting legendary VC Marc Andreesson to invest from a tweet, why she couldn't live without General Hospital and Candy Crush and what song psyched her up to keep going during the early days of Backstage.

Hamilton's best resources on managing workplace bias available here.

Alice is a free digital platform that makes smart, instant connections between business owners and the resources they need to accelerate sustainable growth and global impact. Alice is open to all founders and prioritizes access for women and other underrepresented business owners.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

The Most Downloaded News App in the U.S. May Have Published Dozens of Fake, AI-Written Stories

The stories were fake but had real-world consequences for the app's 50 million monthly users.

Business News

Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?

The FBI recently raided a major corporate landlord while investigating a rent price-fixing scheme. Here's what we know.

Side Hustle

This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

When Tom Saar moved to New York City, he spotted a lucrative business opportunity.

Business News

Google's Chief Privacy Officer Announces Sudden Departure Amid Leaked Internal Privacy Documents

Keith Enright has held the position with the company since 2018.

Business News

'Pay Off My Debt' TikToker Explains How Much Money He Made from His Viral Video and the Inspiration for the Trend

Jake Burgett told Entrepreneur how he came up with the idea for the personal finance trend sweeping social media.

Starting a Business

This Serial Entrepreneur Sells 'Anti-Bitch Serum' That Keeps Customers Coming in 'All Day Long': 'I'm Like the Magic Eight Ball'

Jeni Castro, founder of Coffee Dose, explains how she brewed up a truly unique brand of coffee cafes.