Alexis Ohanian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexis Ohanian
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Ohanian in 2019
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Alexis Kerry Ohanian
April 24, 1983 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Virginia |
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Notable work
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| Children | 2 |
Alexis Kerry Ohanian (born April 24, 1983) is an American entrepreneur and investor. He is famous for co-founding Reddit, a popular social media website. He also helped start Initialized Capital, a company that invests in new businesses. Alexis Ohanian lives in Florida with his wife, the famous tennis player Serena Williams, and their two daughters.
Contents
Early Life and School
Alexis Ohanian's grandparents came to the United States from Armenia. His mother, Anke, was from Germany, and Alexis spoke German when he was little. His father, Chris, worked as a travel agent. Alexis is their only child.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and later moved to Maryland. To stay connected to their Armenian culture, his parents sent him to a special summer camp. Alexis went to Howard High School and gave a speech when he graduated in 2001.
Alexis was interested in computers and took a computer science class in high school. When he went to the University of Virginia, he studied history and business instead. Looking back, he wished he had stuck with computer science because of his future work in technology.
Alexis Ohanian's Career
Starting Reddit (2005-2020)
Alexis's love for technology began in middle school when he got a dial-up modem. His parents supported him, and he took computer programming classes. He learned to code and build websites by spending time on online message boards. He even built websites for non-profit groups for free.
Alexis once thought about becoming a lawyer. But one day, he decided he wanted to start his own company instead. After graduating from college in 2005, he and his friend Steve Huffman had an idea for a food ordering app. An investment company called Y Combinator didn't like that idea, but they encouraged Alexis and Steve to come up with something new.
That's when they created reddit.com, an online bulletin board. Their goal was for it to become the "front page of the Internet." Reddit was part of Y Combinator's first group of startups in 2005. Later, in 2006, a company called Condé Nast bought Reddit. Alexis stayed involved with Reddit, working on its board of directors.
He returned to Reddit full-time in 2015 to help lead the company again. In 2018, he stepped back to focus on investing. On June 5, 2020, Alexis resigned from Reddit's board. He asked that a Black person take his place, which happened a few days later when Michael Seibel joined the board.
Other Ventures and Investments
In 2007, Alexis started Breadpig, a company that sells "geeky" merchandise and gives the money to charity. He later stepped away from its daily operations.
After leaving Reddit in 2010, Alexis worked in Armenia for three months, helping with small loans for businesses. That same year, he helped launch Hipmunk, a travel search website. He also started Das Kapital Capital, which invests in and advises new companies.
Alexis worked with Y Combinator, helping new companies on the East Coast. He later left to help start the third fund for Initialized Capital with Garry Tan.
In July 2020, Alexis was the main investor in a group that started a new professional women's soccer team. This team, called Angel City FC, began playing in 2022. The ownership group includes many women, famous actors like Natalie Portman, and athletes, including Alexis's wife, Serena Williams.
In June 2020, Alexis left his role at Initialized. In 2021, he announced a new investment firm he leads called "776." In 2024, he launched Athlos, a track and field event just for women. In November 2024, Alexis bought a share of Chelsea Women FC, a women's soccer team in England.
Investing in New Tech Companies
Alexis co-founded Initialized Capital in 2010. This company invested early in many successful startups like Instacart and Opendoor. In 2014, a study ranked Alexis as the top investor for how well he connected with other investors.
Through Initialized Capital, Alexis invested in a childcare startup called Kinside in 2019. In 2020, he also invested in a photo app called Dispo. In 2021, Alexis invested $10 million in a social startup called pearpop.
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Victoria Taylor's Departure from Reddit
In July 2015, Reddit let go of Victoria Taylor, who helped coordinate celebrity interviews. In protest, many volunteer moderators on Reddit made their forums private. This caused a lot of anger among the volunteers. Some people blamed Ellen Pao, who was the CEO at the time. However, a former CEO later said that Alexis Ohanian was involved in the decision. Alexis later explained his role, saying the changes came from him, but he still reported to Ellen Pao.
Creative Work
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Alexis Ohanian has created mascots for his companies. These include "Snoo" the alien for Reddit, a pig with bread wings for Breadpig, and a honey badger for Initialized Capital.
In 2009, he gave a speech at TED about a whale named Mister Splashy Pants.
Standing Up for the Internet
Open Internet Activism
In 2010 and 2011, Alexis spoke out against two bills in Congress, the Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act. These bills would have changed how the internet works. He helped lead a big online campaign that eventually stopped these bills. Alexis talked to members of Congress and helped organize protests.
In 2012, Alexis went on a bus tour to campaign for an "open Internet." Because of his work, The Daily Dot named him one of the most influential activists of 2012. Forbes Magazine even called him "Mayor of the Internet."
In 2014, Alexis started asking the FCC (a government agency) to support net neutrality. This means that internet providers should treat all internet traffic equally.
Hijab Emoji Project
In 2017, Alexis worked with a teenager named Rayouf Alhumedhi to campaign for a hijab emoji. He helped her share her idea online and responded to people who had questions. On July 17, 2017, Apple released its version of the hijab emoji.
Crowdfunding Campaigns
In 2012, Alexis teamed up with musician Lester Chambers to start a Kickstarter project. They raised over $61,000 to help Lester make a new album.
Two years later, Alexis raised money for Black Girls Code, a non-profit organization, using Tilt.com. In 2014, he used Tilt.com again to raise money for a billboard protesting the FCC's plans about net neutrality.
In April 2015, Alexis visited Armenia and toured villages supported by the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF).
Personal Life
In 2008, Alexis's mother, Anke, passed away from brain cancer.
On December 29, 2016, Alexis got engaged to the famous tennis player Serena Williams. Their first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, was born on September 1, 2017. Alexis and Serena got married on November 16, 2017, in New Orleans. Alexis has said that watching Serena compete has changed how he thinks about success in business. Their daughter has a doll named Qai Qai that has become popular on social media. In May 2023, it was announced that Serena was expecting their second child. Their second daughter, Adira River, was born in August 2023.
In November 2024, Alexis had surgery to remove thyroid nodules.
Advocating for Paternity Leave
After his daughter was born, Alexis became a strong supporter of paternity leave. He wrote an article in the New York Times about his experience. He shared that he spent months at home caring for his family after his wife had a difficult birth. In June 2019, Alexis announced plans to talk to lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to push for a federal law that would give paid family leave to all parents.
Helping Others
Since 2022, Alexis Ohanian has been funding projects related to climate change through the 776 Foundation Fellowship Program. This program helps young people (23 or younger) who want to work on fighting climate change. It gives them money and guidance to pursue their ideas, whether it's scientific research or starting a new project.
Awards and Recognition
To remember the moment Alexis decided to start his own company, a plaque was put up at Booth 19 in a Waffle House restaurant. It includes a quote from him about his "Waffle House Epiphany."
In 2011 and 2012, Forbes magazine included Alexis on their "30 Under 30" list for important people in technology. In 2013, Wired magazine called him a "champion of innovation." In 2015, he was named to Crain's "40 Under 40" list for business. In 2016, Fast Company named him one of the "Most Creative People in Business."
Alexis has given commencement speeches at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia. In December 2022, Money magazine named him a 2023 Money Changemaker.
Books and Podcasts
Without Their Permission
Alexis Ohanian wrote a book called Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed. It was published on October 1, 2013, and became a best-seller. Alexis went on a long tour to promote the book, visiting many universities.
Small Empires
In 2013, Alexis hosted an online show called Small Empires with Alexis Ohanian. The show focused on new startup companies in New York City. It ran for two seasons.
Podcasts
NYRD Radio
In 2014, Alexis started the NYRD Radio podcast. He interviewed successful people and had a segment where new entrepreneurs could get advice from him.
Upvoted
In 2015, Alexis launched Reddit's podcast called Upvoted. In this podcast, he explored interesting stories found on Reddit and talked to the users involved.
Business Dad
In January 2020, Alexis started the Business Dad podcast. In this show, he talks to successful men about what it means to be a father and how they balance their careers with family life.
Other Media Appearances
Twitch (@AOC)
In January 2021, Alexis was featured on a livestream on Twitch. He joined other guests on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's channel to talk about the GameStop stock situation.
Images for kids
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Ohanian in 2018
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Ohanian in 2015
See also
In Spanish: Alexis Ohanian para niños
