Arlan Hamilton graduated from LHHS with scholarship opportunities, but she passed them up to be a tour manager for a Norwegian pop punk band.
This led her to work for artists like Kirk Franklin, Toni Braxton and Jason Derulo.
It was through her tour management that she got the idea to fund start-ups.
“Most of the money that’s backing this type of thing and innovation is going to a very specific type of person, which is usually straight white men,” Hamilton told NBC. “I thought that was really crazy because so many women that I knew and so many people of color that I knew were innovative.”
“That’s when it hit me. I don’t need to start my own company necessarily. I need to figure out a way to get more capitol to other companies.”
Hamilton quit the music business and moved to Silicon Valley in 2015 with no money. At night she slept on couches at the airport and by day she pitched investors to believe in her mission, she said in her interview.
Hamilton’s firm Backstage Capital has invested $7 million in more than 120 companies, the firm only invests in companies led by women, people of color and/or those who identify as LGBTQ. Hamilton identifies with all three.