Alexis Ohanian: Reddit Co-founder, Entrepreneur, and Advocate for Change

Early Life & Entrepreneurial Spark

• 💡 Born in Brooklyn in 1983, Alexis Ohanian's family background includes Armenian genocide refugees and an immigrant mother, instilling a sense of resilience.
• 🧠 From a young age, he was fascinated by technology, learning to code and build websites, which ultimately led to a pivotal epiphany at a Waffle House to pursue entrepreneurship over law.

Reddit and Tech Ventures

• 🚀 While at the University of Virginia, he co-founded Reddit with Steve Huffman, joining Y Combinator's very first batch of startups in 2005.
• ✅ After Reddit's early sale, Ohanian returned in 2015 to help steer the company, later resigning from the board in 2020 to advocate for a Black candidate to take his place.
• 💰 Beyond Reddit, he co-founded Initialized Capital, a venture firm backing companies like Instacart, and launched 776, a new investment firm in 2021.

Activism & Social Impact

• 📣 Known as the "mayor of the internet," Alexis Ohanian has been a prominent activist, leading protests against SOPA and PIPA and championing net neutrality.
• 🤝 His commitment to change extends to advocating for diversity and representation, exemplified by his public call for a Black candidate to replace him on Reddit's board.

Investing in Women's Sports

• 🏆 Demonstrating a deep passion for supporting women, he became the lead investor in Angel City FC, a National Women's Soccer League franchise, majority-owned by women.
• ⚽ In 2025, he further invested in women's sports by buying a 10% stake in Chelsea Women FC, securing a seat on their board.

Family & Enduring Legacy

• ❤️ Married to Serena Williams since 2017, they have two daughters, Alexis Olympia and Adira River.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 He is an outspoken advocate for paid family leave, sharing his personal experience and urging lawmakers to make paternity leave a national law.
• ✨ Alexis measures success by family, integrity, and impact, rather than solely by financial metrics, aiming to build a lasting legacy both online and at home.