Alexis Ohanian
Born 1983 · Age 43
American internet entrepreneur and investor; co‑founder and former executive chairman of Reddit; co‑founder of Initialized Capital; investor, author, and advocate for open internet and paid family leave.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Brooklyn, New York
Alexis Kerry Ohanian born in Brooklyn, NY to an Armenian‑American father and German immigrant mother.
Family moved to Maryland suburb
Ohanian's family relocated from Brooklyn to a Maryland suburb during his childhood.
Attended AGBU summer camp (cultural ties)
Parents sent him to an AGBU‑sponsored summer camp to maintain Armenian cultural ties.
Started at University of Virginia
Enrolled at UVA; initially considered law but studied history and commerce and minored in German.
Met Steve Huffman (future cofounder)
Met roommate Steve Huffman on the first day at UVA—beginning of their long partnership.
Howard High School commencement address
Delivered a commencement address at Merriweather Post Pavilion in 2001 (Howard High School alumnus).
Reddit launched publicly
Reddit launched aiming to be the 'front page of the Internet'.
Graduated from University of Virginia
Graduated with a double major (history and commerce) and a minor in German.
Founded Reddit (Y Combinator seed)
Ohanian and Steve Huffman pitched MyMobileMenu to Y Combinator, were encouraged to pivot, and launched reddit.com; joined Y Combinator's first summer batch with $12,000 seed.
Reddit acquired by Condé Nast
Condé Nast acquired Reddit for an amount widely reported between $10 million and $20 million.
Founded Breadpig
Launched Breadpig, an 'uncorporation' producing geeky merchandise with proceeds to charity.
Mother passed away
Ohanian's mother, Anke, died from brain cancer in 2008.
TED Talk: 'Mister Splashy Pants'
Spoke at TED about a viral campaign involving a humpback whale named Mister Splashy Pants.
Left Reddit; Kiva fellowship in Armenia
After leaving Reddit in 2010, spent three months in Yerevan working in microfinance as a Kiva fellow.
Helped launch Hipmunk (advisor)
Joined the Hipmunk travel search startup shortly before launch to assist with design and marketing and created the 'Chip' mascot.
Co‑founded Initialized Capital
Co‑founded early‑stage venture firm Initialized Capital (with Garry Tan later leading funds); began making seed investments.
Launched Das Kapital Capital
Started Das Kapital Capital to focus on startup investing, advising, and consulting.
Joined Y Combinator as ambassador/partner
Given the title 'Ambassador to the East' and later served as part‑time and full‑time partner at Y Combinator.
Named to Forbes '30 Under 30' (Technology)
Recognized by Forbes as a notable young technology figure.
Named to Forbes '30 Under 30' again
Listed again on Forbes '30 Under 30' in Technology.
Stepped away from day‑to‑day Breadpig
By 2012, no longer involved in daily operations of Breadpig.
Led Reddit's protest against SOPA/PIPA (site blackout)
Helped lead mass internet protests on Jan 18, 2012 (Reddit blackout and allied protests) that contributed to overturning SOPA/PIPA.
Kickstarter: 'Lester's Time Has Come' crowdfunding
Launched a Kickstarter project for Lester Chambers (The Chambers Brothers); campaign raised over $61,000.
Small Empires video series premiered
Hosted 'Small Empires with Alexis Ohanian' on The Verge (season 1: 9 episodes).
Published book 'Without Their Permission'
Released Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed; toured 150 stops and 75 universities; book hit WSJ bestseller list.
Ranked #1 by CB Insights for investor network centrality
CB Insights analysis ranked Ohanian number one for investor network centrality in tech.
Led net neutrality lobbying (FCC phone‑a‑thon Jan 2015 planning)
Began lobbying the FCC for net neutrality in May 2014, culminating in a day‑long phone‑a‑thon on Jan 15, 2015.
Launched NYRD Radio podcast
Started NYRD Radio podcast interviewing entrepreneurs, creatives, and investors.
Featured in Wired 'Champions of Innovation' issue
Ohanian and Erik Martin profiled as champions of innovation in Wired's 20th Anniversary issue.
Crain's '40 Under 40' recognition
Named to Crain's '40 Under 40' in 2015 for business leadership.
Launched Reddit podcast 'Upvoted' (Episode 0)
Released first episode of Reddit's podcast Upvoted.
Returned to Reddit full‑time as executive chairman
Returned in July 2015 to lead Reddit during its transition back to independence.
Victoria Taylor firing and community revolt
Victoria Taylor (communications director) dismissed July 2, 2015; mass moderator protest followed and Ellen Pao resigned days later amidst controversy.
Named one of Fast Company's 'Most Creative People in Business'
Recognized by Fast Company for creativity in business (2016).
Left Y Combinator to focus on Initialized
Departed YC in 2016 to help launch the third Initialized fund with Garry Tan.
Initialized Capital raises $115M for third fund
Initialized Capital announced a $115M third fund (VentureBeat report).
Engaged to Serena Williams
Became engaged to tennis star Serena Williams on Dec 29, 2016.
Apple releases hijab emoji (advocacy)
After Ohanian helped organize awareness and an AMA for teenager Rayouf Alhumedhi, Apple released a hijab emoji on July 17, 2017.
Birth of daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian
Welcomed first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, born Sept 1, 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Married Serena Williams
Married Serena Williams in New Orleans on Nov 16, 2017; high‑profile guests attended.
Stepped back from day‑to‑day Reddit role
In February 2018, Ohanian stepped back from his active role at Reddit to focus on investing.
Invested $3M in childcare startup Kinside
Through Initialized Capital, participated in a $3M investment round in Kinside.
Invested in Opendoor, Instacart, Cruise and others (early stage)
Through Initialized Capital and personal investing, seeded companies including Instacart, Opendoor, Cruise, Coinbase, Patreon, and Ro (these investments contributed significantly to later net worth growth).
Launched 'Business Dad' podcast (Initialized)
Started 'Business Dad', interviewing successful men about fatherhood and balancing work/family.
Public advocacy for paid family leave; New York Times essay
Became a prominent advocate for paternity and paid family leave; wrote about his experience in the New York Times and planned lobbying on Capitol Hill.
Publicly resigned to promote board diversity
Resignation from Reddit board and public request to replace him with a Black candidate highlighted activism for racial equity in tech leadership.
Delivered commencement address at Johns Hopkins University
Gave the May 21, 2020 commencement speech at Johns Hopkins University.
Left role as Managing Partner at Initialized
Ended his Managing Partner role at Initialized in June 2020 to pursue a new venture.
Resigned from Reddit board; urged Black replacement
Resigned from Reddit's board on June 5, 2020, asking the company to replace his seat with a Black candidate in response to George Floyd's murder.
Named founding control owner of Angel City FC (NWSL expansion rights)
Part of the primarily female ownership group awarded an NWSL expansion franchise that became Angel City FC.
Initialized raises $230M for early‑stage deals
Bloomberg reported Initialized raising $230M in August 2020 for early‑stage investments.
Twitch livestream with Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (GameStop discussion)
Featured on AOC's Twitch livestream (Jan 28, 2021 stream date; planning and promotion occurred in late 2020/early 2021) discussing GameStop short squeeze and retail investing.
Invested $10M in PearPop (Series A)
Invested $10M into social startup PearPop in April 2021 alongside other investors.
Commencement speaker at University of Virginia
Delivered the commencement address at his alma mater (UVA) in May 2021.
Launched Seven Seven Six (776) venture firm with $150M
Announced and launched new VC firm Seven Seven Six (776) with an initial $150M fund (Forbes coverage, June 2021).
Angel City FC began play in NWSL
Angel City FC, the LA team in which Ohanian is a founding control owner, began competing in the National Women's Soccer League (2022 season).
Named Money 'Changemaker' for 2023
Money magazine named Ohanian a 2023 Money Changemaker in December 2022.
Announced wife's pregnancy (second child)
In May 2023, Serena Williams announced she was pregnant with the couple's second child.
Birth of second daughter, Adira River Ohanian
Serena Williams gave birth to the couple's second daughter Adira River in August 2023.
Launched Athlos women's track and field event
Launched Athlos, a women's‑only track and field event, aimed at raising the profile of women's athletics.
Public net worth estimate reported
As of 2024, Ohanian's net worth is widely estimated at approximately $150 million in public sources.
Underwent thyroid nodule surgery
Had surgery to remove thyroid nodules to prevent possible cancer (reported Nov 28, 2024).
Acquired 10% stake in Chelsea Women FC
Bought a 10% share of Chelsea Women FC for £20 million and will take a seat on their board (reported May 14, 2025).
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