Alexis Ohanian

Alexis Ohanian
Born	Alexis Kerry Ohanian 24 4, 1983
Birthplace	New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Entrepreneur, investor
Known for	Co-founding Reddit, founding Seven Seven Six
Education	University of Virginia (B.A.)
Spouse(s)	Serena Williams (m. 2017)
Children	2
Awards	TIME100 Impact honoree (2025)
Website	[[alexisohanian.com alexisohanian.com] Official site]

Alexis Kerry Ohanian (born April 24, 1983) is an American internet entrepreneur, investor, and advocate whose career has intersected with some of the most consequential developments in the modern internet era. He is best known as the co-founder of Reddit, the social news aggregation and discussion platform that has grown into one of the most visited websites in the world, valued at more than $40 billion as of 2026. In addition to Reddit, Ohanian co-founded the early-stage venture capital firm Initialized Capital, helped launch the travel search website Hipmunk, and started the social enterprise Breadpig. He later founded Seven Seven Six, a venture capital fund through which he has made significant investments in technology startups and women's professional sports. Ohanian has been a prominent voice in debates over net neutrality and internet freedom, and was named one of the top internet rights activists by The Daily Dot in 2012. He is married to former professional tennis player Serena Williams, and the couple resides in Florida with their two daughters.

Early Life

Alexis Kerry Ohanian was born on April 24, 1983, in New York City. He is of Armenian and German descent. His father's family immigrated to the United States from Armenia, and Ohanian has spoken publicly about his Armenian heritage and its influence on his worldview. He visited Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where the experience provided him with a deeper perspective on his family's origins and the Armenian diaspora.

Ohanian grew up in the suburbs outside of Baltimore, Maryland, and had a formative childhood marked by both entrepreneurial curiosity and personal hardship. His mother was diagnosed with brain cancer, an experience that profoundly affected the family and shaped his outlook on life and career. Despite these challenges, Ohanian displayed an early interest in technology and the internet, which would later become the foundation of his professional career.

A pivotal moment in Ohanian's trajectory occurred when he initially considered attending law school. He sat for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) but walked out of the exam approximately twenty minutes into it. He then went to a Waffle House restaurant, where he made the decision that he was "gonna invent a career" rather than pursue a traditional legal path. This decision led him away from law and toward the world of technology entrepreneurship—a choice that would eventually result in the creation of Reddit.

Education

Ohanian attended the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he studied commerce and history. It was at UVA that he met Steve Huffman, who would become his co-founder at Reddit. The two shared a dormitory and developed a friendship rooted in a shared interest in technology and startups. During their time at UVA, Ohanian and Huffman began conceiving ideas for internet ventures, laying the intellectual groundwork for what would become one of the most influential websites on the internet. Ohanian graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree.

Career

Reddit

In 2005, shortly after graduating from the University of Virginia, Ohanian and his college roommate Steve Huffman applied to the startup accelerator Y Combinator, which was then in its inaugural batch. Their initial pitch was for a mobile food-ordering application called "My Mobile Menu," but Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham rejected the idea. Graham instead encouraged them to pursue a different concept, and Ohanian and Huffman subsequently developed Reddit, a social news aggregation platform where users could submit links and vote on content. Reddit launched in June 2005 and quickly gained traction as a platform for community-driven content curation and discussion.

In October 2006, Condé Nast Publications acquired Reddit. Ohanian continued to be involved with the platform following the acquisition but eventually departed. Over the years, Reddit grew into one of the most visited websites in the world, attracting hundreds of millions of users across thousands of topic-specific communities known as "subreddits."

Ohanian returned to Reddit in a leadership capacity, serving as executive chairman. Aaron Swartz was also involved with Reddit in its early days, having merged his company Infogami with Reddit's parent company. In June 2020, amid nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd, Ohanian resigned from Reddit's board of directors and urged the company to fill his seat with a Black candidate, a request that the company honored.

In a 2026 interview with Business Insider, Ohanian stated that he does not miss being in a leadership role at Reddit, summing up his feelings in three words when asked about the matter. As of 2026, Reddit was valued at more than $40 billion.

Breadpig

In 2007, Ohanian founded Breadpig, a social enterprise that he described as an "uncorporation." Breadpig produced geeky merchandise—including books, posters, and apparel—and donated the profits to charitable causes. The company operated on a model in which the creators of the products received royalties while the remaining profits were directed toward various nonprofit organizations. Among its notable projects was the publication of the webcomic xkcd's first print book, xkcd: volume 0, with proceeds benefiting charity.

Hipmunk

Ohanian was involved in the launch of Hipmunk, a travel search website designed to simplify the process of finding flights and hotels. The platform distinguished itself through its user interface, which presented search results on a visual timeline organized by what the company called "agony"—a metric that factored in price, duration, number of stops, and other variables. Ohanian contributed to the development and promotion of Hipmunk, which was also backed by Y Combinator.

Y Combinator

Ohanian served as a partner at Y Combinator, the startup accelerator and venture capital firm that had originally funded Reddit. In this role, he mentored early-stage startups and provided guidance to founders navigating the challenges of building technology companies. His experience as both a founder and an investor made him a resource for the entrepreneurs participating in Y Combinator's programs.

Initialized Capital

Ohanian co-founded Initialized Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm. The firm focused on seed and early-stage investments in technology startups. Initialized Capital built a portfolio that included notable companies, and the firm's investment approach was informed by Ohanian's experience as a founder. According to CB Insights, Initialized Capital was recognized for its strong track record among venture capital firms.

Seven Seven Six

Ohanian subsequently founded Seven Seven Six (776), a venture capital fund named after the year of the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. Through Seven Seven Six, Ohanian has invested in a diverse array of technology startups and has become particularly notable for his investments in women's professional sports. His investments in this sector have included stakes in women's sports teams and leagues, reflecting a conviction that women's sports represent a significant and undervalued business opportunity.

In a December 2025 feature for Time magazine's TIME100 Impact Awards, Ohanian discussed his investment thesis around women's sports, explaining how betting on women's sports had become one of his most successful ventures and articulating his belief that the industry was poised for substantial growth.

Advocacy and Public Speaking

Throughout his career, Ohanian has been an outspoken advocate for internet freedom and net neutrality. He participated in efforts to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in 2012, and he continued to campaign for net neutrality in subsequent years. In 2015, he joined in a push for net neutrality ahead of a key vote by the Federal Communications Commission. He also crowdfunded a billboard near the FCC's offices to draw attention to the issue.

Ohanian has delivered talks at prominent venues and conferences, including TED. He has spoken on topics including entrepreneurship, the open internet, and the future of technology. He also offered startup advice through various media engagements, including an "Office Hours" feature in Inc. magazine where he answered questions from aspiring entrepreneurs.

Without Their Permission

In 2013, Ohanian published his first book, Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed. The book discussed the power of the internet to democratize entrepreneurship and innovation, drawing on Ohanian's own experiences building Reddit and other ventures. He embarked on a promotional tour across the United States to support the book's release, visiting colleges and startup communities.

Other Media Projects

Ohanian was involved in various media projects beyond his core entrepreneurial activities. He was associated with NYRD Radio, a media venture. He also engaged with the music industry, working with Kickstarter and musicians to explore alternative models for music production and distribution, an effort covered by Fast Company. Additionally, he helped organize a crowdfunding campaign to bring Black Girls Code to Brooklyn, New York, supporting the nonprofit's mission to introduce young women of color to technology and computer science.

Personal Life

Ohanian began a relationship with professional tennis player Serena Williams in 2015. The couple met in Rome at the Roma Cavalieri hotel, where both happened to be staying. They became engaged in December 2016, and Williams announced the news via a post on Reddit. Their first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was born on September 1, 2017. Ohanian and Williams married on November 16, 2017, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The couple's second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, was born subsequently.

The family resides in Florida. Ohanian has been vocal in publicly supporting his wife and defending her against online criticism. In 2026, he responded to critics on social media who had accused Williams of skin bleaching, dismissing the claims. He has also spoken out on social issues, including reacting to a racist attack on footballer Vini Jr. and an emotional message from broadcaster Kate Scott addressing the incident.

Ohanian is of Armenian descent and has maintained a connection to his heritage, including visiting Armenia and engaging with the Armenian-American community.

Recognition

Ohanian has received numerous honors for his contributions to technology, entrepreneurship, and social causes. In 2012, The Daily Dot named him one of the top internet rights activists of the year for his work opposing SOPA and PIPA and advocating for net neutrality and an open internet.

In 2015, Crain's New York Business included Ohanian on its "40 Under 40" list, recognizing his accomplishments as an entrepreneur and investor in the New York business community.

In September 2007, BusinessWeek featured Ohanian in coverage of young entrepreneurs making an impact in the technology sector.

In December 2025, Ohanian was honored as a TIME100 Impact honoree by Time magazine. The recognition highlighted his work investing in and championing women's professional sports through his venture capital fund Seven Seven Six, with Time noting that his investments in the sector had become one of his most notable successes.

Legacy

Ohanian's career has spanned multiple phases of the internet economy, from the early web 2.0 era to the contemporary landscape of venture capital and professional sports investment. Reddit, the platform he co-founded in 2005, has become one of the most influential online communities in the world, serving as a major venue for news aggregation, discussion, and community formation. As of 2026, the company was valued at more than $40 billion, a figure that underscored the platform's lasting impact on how information is shared and consumed online.

Beyond Reddit, Ohanian's founding of Breadpig demonstrated an early commitment to blending entrepreneurship with social impact, a model that anticipated the growth of social enterprises in the technology sector. His involvement with Y Combinator and Initialized Capital positioned him as a mentor and financier to a generation of startup founders, extending his influence beyond his own companies.

Ohanian's advocacy for net neutrality and internet freedom placed him at the center of policy debates that shaped the regulatory environment for the internet in the United States. His crowdfunding campaigns, public statements, and direct engagement with regulators contributed to the broader movement that culminated in the FCC's 2015 adoption of net neutrality rules.

In more recent years, Ohanian's investment focus through Seven Seven Six on women's professional sports has drawn attention to what he has described as an undervalued market. His investments and public commentary have contributed to increased visibility and financial support for women's sports leagues and athletes, a theme he discussed in his TIME100 Impact feature.

Ohanian's decision to walk out of the LSAT and pursue entrepreneurship has become a frequently cited anecdote in discussions of unconventional career paths in the technology industry, illustrating the unpredictable nature of success in Silicon Valley and beyond.