Alexis Kerry Ohanian is a prominent American internet entrepreneur and investor. He is widely recognized as the co-founder and former executive chairman of the popular social media platform Reddit, which he established alongside Steve Huffman and Aaron Swartz. Ohanian's entrepreneurial endeavors extend beyond Reddit, as he also co-founded Initialized Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm, and played a key role in launching the travel search website Hipmunk. Additionally, he founded the social enterprise Breadpig and served as a partner at Y Combinator. Ohanian's contributions have significantly impacted the technology and business landscape.
April 24, 1983: Alexis Ohanian's Birth
Alexis Kerry Ohanian was born on April 24, 1983. He is of Armenian descent.
2001: High School Graduation
In 2001, Alexis Ohanian graduated from Howard High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, and delivered the commencement address at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
2005: University Graduation and Reddit's Inception
Alexis Ohanian graduated from the University of Virginia with degrees in commerce and history in 2005. He and Steve Huffman pitched the food ordering app MyMobileMenu to Y Combinator. While the company passed on the idea, they encouraged the pair to develop another concept, leading to the creation of Reddit.
2005: Reddit Joins Y Combinator
In the summer of 2005, Reddit joined Y Combinator's first batch of start-ups.
2006: Reddit Acquired by Condé Nast
In 2006, Reddit was acquired by Condé Nast for an amount estimated between $10 million and $20 million.
2007: Breadpig Launch
Ohanian launched Breadpig, an "uncorporation" selling geeky merchandise for charity, in 2007.
2008: Mother's Death
Ohanian's mother, Anke, passed away from brain cancer in 2008.
2009: TED Talk
Ohanian gave a TED Talk about a whale named Mister Splashy Pants in 2009.
June 2010: Das Kapital Capital Launch
In June 2010, Ohanian launched Das Kapital Capital, focusing on startup investments and advising.
2010: Speaks out against SOPA/PIPA
In late 2010, Ohanian began speaking out against SOPA and PIPA.
2010: Co-founds Initialized Capital
Ohanian co-founded Initialized Capital in 2010.
2011: Continues Opposition to SOPA/PIPA
Ohanian continued his opposition to SOPA and PIPA in early 2011.
2011: Forbes 30 Under 30
Ohanian was named to the Forbes "30 Under 30" list in 2011.
January 18, 2012: Participates in Anti-SOPA/PIPA Protests
Ohanian helped lead and spoke at protests against SOPA/PIPA on January 18, 2012.
October 2012: Internet 2012 Bus Tour and Open Internet Advocacy
In October 2012, Alexis Ohanian participated in the Internet 2012 Bus Tour to advocate for an open internet. This tour, alongside his other advocacy work, led to him being recognized as a top internet activist by The Daily Dot and being called "Mayor of the Internet" by Forbes.
December 10, 2012: Lester Chambers Kickstarter Project
On December 10, 2012, Ohanian launched a Kickstarter project to fund a new album for musician Lester Chambers, successfully raising over $61,000.
2012: Forbes 30 Under 30
Ohanian was named to the Forbes "30 Under 30" list in 2012.
2012: Steps Away from Breadpig
By 2012, Ohanian was no longer involved in Breadpig's daily operations.
October 1, 2013: Publication of "Without Their Permission"
Ohanian's book, "Without Their Permission", was published on October 1, 2013 and became a Wall Street Journal best seller.
2013: Wired Champions of Innovation
Ohanian and Erik Martin were featured in Wired as "champions of innovation" in 2013.
2013: Small Empires Premiere
The online series "Small Empires with Alexis Ohanian" premiered on The Verge in 2013.
May 2014: Net Neutrality Advocacy Begins
Alexis Ohanian began lobbying the FCC in support of net neutrality in May 2014.
May 2014: Crowdfunding for Net Neutrality and Black Girls Code
In May 2014, Ohanian used Tilt.com to crowdfund for both Black Girls Code and a campaign to display a "Save Net Neutrality" billboard near the FCC.
October 2014: Small Empires Second Season
The second season of "Small Empires" premiered in October 2014.
October 15, 2014: NYRD Radio Podcast Launch
Ohanian launched the NYRD Radio podcast on October 15, 2014.
2014: Ranked Top Tech Investor
In 2014, CB Insights ranked Ohanian as the number one tech investor for network centrality.
January 8, 2015: Reddit's Upvoted Podcast Launch
Ohanian released the first episode of Reddit's Upvoted podcast on January 8, 2015.
January 15, 2015: Net Neutrality Phone-a-thon
Ohanian's net neutrality advocacy continued with a phone-a-thon to the FCC and Congress on January 15, 2015.
April 2015: Visit to Armenia
Ohanian visited Armenia in April 2015 to tour villages supported by the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF).
July 2, 2015: Victoria Taylor Firing and Reddit Controversy
On July 2, 2015, Reddit fired communications director Victoria Taylor, leading to protests from volunteer moderators and ultimately, interim CEO Ellen Pao's resignation. Ohanian's role in the firing became a point of controversy.
July 2015: Return to Reddit
Ohanian returned to Reddit full-time with co-founder Huffman in July 2015.
2015: Crain's 40 Under 40
Ohanian was named to Crain's "40 Under 40" list in 2015.
December 29, 2016: Engagement to Serena Williams
Ohanian got engaged to Serena Williams on December 29, 2016.
2016: Leaves Y Combinator to Launch Initialized Capital Fund
Ohanian left his partnership role at Y Combinator in 2016 to launch the third Initialized Capital fund with Garry Tan.
2016: Fast Company's Most Creative People
Ohanian was named one of Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business" in 2016.
July 17, 2017: Hijab Emoji Campaign Success
On July 17, 2017, Apple released a hijab emoji after a campaign supported by Ohanian.
September 1, 2017: Birth of Daughter, Alexis Olympia
Ohanian's daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, was born on September 1, 2017.
November 16, 2017: Marriage to Serena Williams
Ohanian married Serena Williams on November 16, 2017.
2017: Criticism from Ellen Pao
In 2017, Ellen Pao criticized Ohanian for his actions during the 2015 Reddit controversy.
February 2018: Steps Back from Reddit
Ohanian stepped back from Reddit in February 2018 to refocus on investing.
June 2019: Paternity Leave Advocacy
In June 2019, Ohanian began advocating for paternity leave, taking his efforts to Capitol Hill later that year.
2019: Investment in Kinside
Through Initialized Capital, Ohanian invested $3 million in childcare startup Kinside in 2019.
January 2020: Initialized Capital Podcast Launch
In January 2020, Ohanian launched a new podcast with Initialized Capital focused on fatherhood and career.
May 21, 2020: Commencement Address at Johns Hopkins
Ohanian delivered the commencement address at Johns Hopkins University on May 21, 2020.
June 5, 2020: Resignation from Reddit Board
On June 5, 2020, Ohanian resigned from Reddit's board, requesting to be replaced by a Black candidate following the murder of George Floyd.
June 2020: Ends Role at Initialized Capital
In June 2020, Ohanian ended his role as Managing Partner at Initialized Capital.
July 2020: Investment in Angel City FC
In July 2020, Ohanian led an investment group that secured a National Women's Soccer League franchise, which later became Angel City FC.
2020: Investment in Dispo
In 2020, Ohanian invested $4 million in Dispo.
January 28, 2021: Gamestop Short Squeeze Livestream
Ohanian participated in a livestream discussion on the Gamestop short squeeze on January 28, 2021.
April 2021: Investment in pearpop
In April 2021, Ohanian invested $10 million in social startup pearpop's Series A round.
June 2021: Launches 776 Venture Capital Firm
In June 2021, Ohanian announced his new venture capital firm, 776.
December 2022: Money Changemaker Award
Ohanian was named a 2023 Money Changemaker in December 2022.
2022: Angel City FC Begins Play
Angel City FC began playing in 2022.
2022: Climate Change Fellowship Program
Beginning in 2022, Ohanian started funding climate-related projects by young founders through a fellowship program.
May 2023: Announcement of Second Pregnancy
Serena Williams announced her second pregnancy in May 2023.
August 2023: Birth of Second Daughter, Adira River
Ohanian's second daughter, Adira River, was born in August 2023.
2023: University of Virginia Commencement Speaker
In 2023, Ohanian was a commencement speaker at his alma mater, the University of Virginia.
2024: Net Worth Reaches $150 Million
As of 2024, Alexis Ohanian's net worth is estimated at $150 million.