In this episode of The Shontavia Show, I speak with Arlan Hamilton, an exceptional venture capitalist and the author of It’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage.
Arlan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a fund that is dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT.
Today, at 39 years old, Arlan is becoming the most powerful black woman in the venture capital universe, and I was honored to speak with her for the show.
Arlan’s remarkable story includes everything from poverty and housing insecurity to billionaires and history-making University of Oxford scholarships.
Her rise, work, and impact have not gone unnoticed. In 2018, for example, she was the first non-entertainer/non-athlete black woman to grace the cover of Fast Company magazine. She’s racked up a ton of awards, accolades and speaking invitations.
Is this real life? I’m the October COVER of @FastCompany! Also the first Black woman who isn’t an entertainer/athlete (@Oprah, @serenawilliams, @Beyonce, @LenaWaithe — my favs!) to be on the cover. I never could have imagined this 3 yrs ago🤭 SO grateful. https://t.co/KInpR6TRxr pic.twitter.com/2YlpsILfsI
— Arlan 👊🏾 (@ArlanWasHere) September 13, 2018
On the show, we talk about Arlan’s background, her new book, and why she’s adamant about betting on underestimated founders.
She also recounts one of the most perfect examples of #thehookup I’ve ever heard at 18:28 in the show.
Show Highlights
03:08 How Arlan Hamilton’s viral Medium article made her a household name in Silicon Valley and with entrepreneurs
13:00 How Arlan built a name for herself as a VC while broke and homeless
15:09 What Arlan believes causes the disconnect between VCs and underestimated founders
17:07 The three things Arlan says led her to getting her first investor
18:28 How “writing her own invitation,” and some unexpected help from a black woman, helped Arlan land a legendary billionaire investor
22:37 How Arlan’s book, It’s About Damn Time, is different from most business books
24:02 About How to Raise Capital for your Company from Scratch, Arlan’s new course for startup founders
26:39 How Arlan uses money to give back to others by supporting special projects, creating scholarships, and making history
For more, check out the full episode below.
Show Notes:
Buy the book It’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage: https://amzn.to/2xvpLD7
Dear White Venture Capitalists: If you’re reading this, it’s (almost!) too late.: https://medium.com/female-founders/dear-white-venture-capitalists-if-you-re-not-actively-searching-for-and-seeding-qualified-4f382f6fd4a7
Memo to the Silicon Valley boys’ club: Arlan Hamilton has no time for your BS: https://www.fastcompany.com/90227793/backstage-capitals-arlan-hamilton-brings-diversity-to-venture-capital
How to Raise Capital for Your Company From Scratch: https://arlanwashere.teachable.com/p/raising-capital-for-your-company-from-scratch/
Questions and Action: Where can you “write your own invitation” in your own life?
In the show, Arlan talks about “writing your own invitation” to meetings, rooms, tables, and anything else you want to participate in as an entrepreneur. After you’ve had a chance to watch the video, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section!
Please answer the questions/complete the suggestions relevant to your current situation:
1. Are there rooms, meetings, or events that, if you were invited to, would help you grow your brand or business? Make a list of them.
2. Prioritize the list you wrote in #1.
3. Start with the first thing on the list and follow the organizations, decisions makers, and/or their collaborators on social media. Determine how you can “write your own invitation” into those spaces.
Please give as much information as you can in response to these questions. I’d be happy to share more tools and resources that help you get what you want.
Thank you so much for joining me on this roller coaster of an experience.
I am eternally grateful that I get to do this work with working professionals who are also creators, entrepreneurs and side hustlers like yourself.
Let’s continue to make it happen,
