Keynote Topics
Arlan Hamilton is a remarkable entrepreneur who built a venture capital fund from the ground up, while homeless. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Started in 2015, […]
Arlan Hamilton is a remarkable entrepreneur who built a venture capital fund from the ground up, while homeless. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT.
Started in 2015, Backstage has now invested over $15M into 175 startups led by underestimated founders and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Quartz.
Arlan made history by making the cover of Fast Company as the first Black woman non-celebrity to do so, and her book “It’s About Damn Time” is out on Penguin Random House’s business imprint Currency. She and Backstage Studio were also the subjects of Season 7 of the popular Gimlet Media podcast, StartUp. Arlan now hosts Your First Million, a weekly podcast featuring in-depth conversations with how the world’s most successful people finessed their first million dollars, customers, or downloads.
Arlan Hamilton entered the venture investing world from an unconventional path. Before launching Backstage Capital, she authored the groundbreaking blog “Your Daily Lesbian Moment”, which she grew to a monthly readership of 50,000 fans worldwide. She has written for AOL, SuicideGirls, and Curve Magazine, and founded and published the internationally distributed indie magazine Interlude. Arlan Hamilton was also a live music production professional, having served as a tour coordinator to numerous international artists including Toni Braxton, and Jason Derulo. Most recently she worked with Atlantic Records recording artist Janine.
In 2018, Arlan co-founded, along with Investment Partner Christie Pitts, Backstage Studio, a new venture studio designed to build products, services, and initiatives that serve the mission of eliminating underrepresentation in tech by empowering founders and their teams to succeed.
Also in 2018, Backstage Studio announced the launch of four accelerator programs, in Los Angeles, Detroit, Philadelphia, and London, UK. Called the Backstage Accelerator, this three-month program is designed to give founders the support they need to reach their next critical milestone, through mentorship, investment capital, and access to resources and networks.
Arlan Hamilton was recently named on Fortune magazine’s 40 under 40 list, as well as,Vanity Fair magazine’s The 2018 New Establishment List.
In 2019, Arlan and her mother, Mrs. Earline Butler-Sims, announced their new scholarship program, which kicked off with Oxford University’s first-ever undergraduate scholarship for a Black student, as well as a full-ride scholarship for a Psychology student at Mrs. Sims’ alma mater, HBCU Dillard University.
Arlan’s company, Backstage Capital, produced and released ‘jOURney’, a documentary celebrating the five year anniversary of the firm, highlighting the people and companies who made it what it is today and released an impact report highlighting the strides Backstage has made in changing the venture capital scene. They also launched Backstage Crowd, a funding platform giving access to the best diverse deal flow in VC. Backstage ended 2020 having made over 30 investments in underestimated founders.
To cap the year, Arlan Hamilton Academy was launched. Arlan recruited experts from across the tech universe to teach and give insight into what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Now anyone can learn what was only available to those ‘in-the-know’ in Silicon Valley.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
In order to view the below you must be logged in.
Dr. Miriam Altman is recognised as a leading economist, strategist, thought leader and a passionate communicator. She has extensive proven experience in charting uncertainty and achieving great things in difficult circumstances. She speaks on the future of the South African economy, why South Africa needs a “China Strategy” and more broadly on economic strategy in […]
Rick Alan has made a name for himself as one of the most versatile and captivating emcees in both the conference and sports worlds. With over two decades of experience, Rick has honed his ability to engage diverse audiences with effortless charm, a deep understanding of event dynamics, and an impeccable sense of timing. As […]
Justin Bonello presenter, traveller, father, husband, filmmaker, gardener … and not particularly in that order … Filmmaker, veteran presenter, author and Head of Production at Cooked in Africa Films. Justin Bonello has worked in the film industry since he was 14 years old and he is the co-founder of one of South Africa’s leading film […]
Shimmy Isaacs is a trailblazing South African comedian, actress, and writer, celebrated for her sharp observational humor and compelling storytelling. With a career spanning stand-up comedy, television, and theatre, she has won multiple awards and performed on some of the biggest comedy stages in the country. Her ability to weave personal experiences, cultural nuances, and […]
Robin Banks is one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of Mind Power and Personal Mastery. He is a highly-sought after International Speaker and has spoken to CEO’s and Senior Management from Global Fortune 500 companies. He is a prolific speaker and presenter and has an amazing ability to combine solid content with […]
The 1925 Band started in February 2011 and has grown from performing one or two shows a month to one of the most demanded bands in South Africa. 1925 Band are three incredibly talented brothers, Reno, Jeff and David-Lee Gericke, with a passion for music who sings in angelic harmony. They are interesting and gets […]
Dr. Roelof Botha is an acclaimed economist and sought-after keynote speaker known for his exceptional insights into global political and economic trends. With decades of experience analyzing market forces, government policies, and global financial ecosystems, Dr. Botha has established himself as a guiding voice in economics. His presentations are celebrated for their clarity, depth, and […]
The girl with the red Lips. Lyndi Lee, a South African singer, songwriter, recording artist and businesswoman. She is known for her seductive and dominant image and versatility in both music and entertainment. Lyndi Lee has finally arrived with a brand new perspective on music. She represents the beauty of equality for ALL and creates music […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Speakers Inc.
All talent fees exclude VAT, travel and accommodation where required.
Our Mission
Our Mission:
© All rights reserved 2025. Designed using Voxel
