Arlan Hamilton

Founder Backstage Capital, Culture Shifter, Innovator, and Author
Arlan
Hamilton

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AVAILABLE FOR

Fireside Chat
Virtual Presentation
Panelist
Moderator

Fee ranges

Domestic In-Person (USA):

$35,000 - $45,000*

International In-Person:

Please inquire

Virtual:

Please inquire

Other:

* Ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees vary by engagement type and are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact Gravity Speakers.

Traveling from

Los Angeles, California, USA

About

Arlan Hamilton is a serial entrepreneur, investor, author, and culture-shifter with a track record of betting on the future before it becomes obvious. She is the Founder and Chair of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm she built from the ground up while experiencing homelessness, with a mission to invest in founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ+. Since its founding in 2015, Backstage has raised $30 million and invested in more than 200 startups led by underestimated founders.

Beyond venture, Arlan is the co-founder of the groundbreaking women’s professional basketball league, 3XBA, expanding her vision of equity and representation into sports. She is also the founder of thriving entrepreneur communities, including Arlan’s All-Access and Inner Circle, which coach, mentor, and connect innovators worldwide. Her Your First Million YouTube channel continues that mission at scale, reaching millions with accessible lessons on entrepreneurship, wealth-building, and navigating the business landscape.

Arlan is the author of three books: It’s About Damn Time (2020), her debut memoir detailing her journey from homelessness to venture capital trailblazer; Your First Million (2023), a practical guide to turning ideas into generational wealth; and her latest release, Arlan’s Revenue Playbook, which continues her mission of empowering underestimated talent to build undeniable impact.

Recognized as the first non-celebrity Black woman to grace the cover of Fast Company, Arlan is also deeply committed to paying it forward. She and her mother, Mrs. Earline Butler-Sims, have established multiple scholarship programs for Black students and innovators at Oxford University, Harvard Law, and Dillard University, as well as scholarships for Black pilots and inventors.

From venture capital to sports to digital media, Arlan Hamilton continues to innovate, inspire, and build platforms that reimagine what’s possible.

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Topics

Topics

Write Your Own Headlines

Being the Change You Want to See

Breaking Rules While Breaking Ground

Launching Startups with Humanity

Black Women in Tech

Bootstrapping a Venture Capital Fund

Arlan Hamilton is available for booking directly through Gravity Speakers and is currently represented by CAA.

Videos

https://youtu.be/g8nRZu6GOxY
Arlan Hamilton Speaker Reel
https://youtu.be/PtEGdbNzOr0
Tamron Hall: Arlan Hamilton Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuwEyldAAYk
ABC News: Arlan Hamilton’s Latest Book Guides You Toward Success and Your First Million
https://youtu.be/NT0kitnZVnA
Arlan Hamilton: From Homeless to Investing Millions
https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/work-money/a45415261/the-expert-is-in-arlan-hamilton/https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/work-money/a45415261/the-expert-is-in-arlan-hamilton/
Oprah Daily - The Expert Is In: Arlan Hamilton
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-06-27/backstage-capital-s-arlan-hamilton-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-videohttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-06-27/backstage-capital-s-arlan-hamilton-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-video
Bloomberg Studio 1.0: Backstage Capital’s Arlan Hamilton
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/arlan-hamilton-on-the-changing-face-of-entrepreneurship/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/arlan-hamilton-on-the-changing-face-of-entrepreneurship/
PBS Amanpour & Co: Arlan Hamilton on the Changing Face of Entrepreneurship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvUeGB7e9bM
SXSW 2019: Arlan Hamilton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Rey8mOgtY
2019 MAKERS Conference: Aisha Tyler & Arlan Hamilton
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/11/19/arlan-hamilton-went-from-sleeping-in-an-airport-to-running-a-multimillion-dollar-vc-firm.htmlhttps://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/11/19/arlan-hamilton-went-from-sleeping-in-an-airport-to-running-a-multimillion-dollar-vc-firm.html
CNBC: Backstage Capital Founder Arlan Hamilton wants to Close that gap

Articles

Testimonials

“We loved having Arlan. She has an amazing stage presence and asked so many compelling questions to the startups on stage. We were lucky to have her!”

Annie Fei
Principal Event Marketing Manager, Hubspot INBOUND

“Arlan’s challenge and her enthusiasm set the state and the tone for the rest of the Summit, helping to energize attendees and inspire deep conversations about the future of our profession.”

Kevin R. Keller
CEO at CFP Board

“Arlan was great. Obviously very knowledgeable, honest and candid and challenging in her remarks - while also being inspiring and thought-provoking.“

Tammy Nolen
Development & Communications Coordinator, Center for Economic Inclusion

“Arlan is what's now, and what's NEXT in entrepreneurship.”

Theo Edmonds
UofL Center for Creative Placehealing

“Arlan Hamilton was amazing. She delivered a great message for our joint Pride/Juneteenth event. She was also very personable at the meet and greet.”

Audrey Fernandez-Elliott
PayPal, Inc.

“Arlan was amazing! The audience would've loved to hear more of her backstory , but everything she said was captivating.”

Ki Williams
Hubspot Inc.

“Arlan's fireside chat was immensely impactful.”

Jordan Carlisle
Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce

“Arlan showed up with enthusiasm, even after a long day of appearances. She was fun, thoughtful, and engaged, volunteering to stay after her talk to chat with members of the audience (over and above her contract.) The audience was thrilled, still talking about the event many days later.”

Lisa Durnford
Venture Out

“We were thrilled! The turnout to hear Arlan's fireside chat was impressive and the audience was very engaged. Arlan is a great speaker - she was articulate, funny, relatable and insightful. We were so glad to have her at our event.”

Alana Davicino
Village Capital

“Everyone absolutely loved Arlan's fireside chat! Her chat was the highlight of our event.”

Charmyse Tillman
gener8tor

“First and foremost, Arlan was fantastic. Her insights, honesty, charisma, and candor made her one of our best speakers at the summit. We're very thankful she participated!”

Jess Matley, VP Program and Event Operations
Ellevate Network