Alexis Ohanian

I learned that it was the genocide remembrance day. How did I learn? I remember my aunt Vera pulling me aside and basically sitting me down and walking me through our family's story of survival in detail, talking about the costs, the toll it took, the things that her parents endured and what they saw and all of that, and basically how we got to America.

I learned that it was the genocide remembrance day. How did I learn? I remember my aunt Vera pulling me aside and basically sitting me down and walking me through our family's story of survival in detail, talking about the costs, the toll it took, the things that her parents endured and what they saw and all of that, and basically how we got to America.

And probably not a conversation you should be having with a six or seven-year-old, but our meetings, we keep it real. She basically finishes up this conversation saying, listen, it's not a coincidence your birthday is April 24th. You are the product of all of their sacrifice, of all of their hard work, of everything that they endured.

And probably not a conversation you should be having with a six or seven-year-old, but our meetings, we keep it real. She basically finishes up this conversation saying, listen, it's not a coincidence your birthday is April 24th. You are the product of all of their sacrifice, of all of their hard work, of everything that they endured.

You have a tremendous responsibility now to make the most out of this life that you have. When I was born in New York, here in the States, like couldn't have asked for a better outcome, right? Generations later. But what they endured is something that you will have to carry for the rest of your life. Happy birthday. And so, yeah, no, that has never left me. And she was an amazing woman.

You have a tremendous responsibility now to make the most out of this life that you have. When I was born in New York, here in the States, like couldn't have asked for a better outcome, right? Generations later. But what they endured is something that you will have to carry for the rest of your life. Happy birthday. And so, yeah, no, that has never left me. And she was an amazing woman.

She was a public school teacher in Brooklyn, didn't have any kids herself. She was my grandfather's sister. She's my great aunt, Vera. She didn't have any kids herself, but she saved up as much money as she could. She's the reason I could go to college. I went to University of Virginia without taking on any debt. Uh, she paid for that all.

She was a public school teacher in Brooklyn, didn't have any kids herself. She was my grandfather's sister. She's my great aunt, Vera. She didn't have any kids herself, but she saved up as much money as she could. She's the reason I could go to college. I went to University of Virginia without taking on any debt. Uh, she paid for that all.

Um, and so amazing woman, she framed that for me at a very, very young age. And so I am very fortunate. I had an amazing loving mom. I have an amazing loving dad. I had the ultimate cheat code, uh, having that foundation, you know, grown up as a white dude here in the States at a time when technology was starting to rip. My parents put some money together to let me get a computer.

Um, and so amazing woman, she framed that for me at a very, very young age. And so I am very fortunate. I had an amazing loving mom. I have an amazing loving dad. I had the ultimate cheat code, uh, having that foundation, you know, grown up as a white dude here in the States at a time when technology was starting to rip. My parents put some money together to let me get a computer.

All that stuff lined up. And then it was imbued with this responsibility that I probably will never escape. For better or for worse, it's always going to weigh on me. I'm never going to feel like I've done enough. And I'm not mad about it. I'm grateful for it. Because I think that...

All that stuff lined up. And then it was imbued with this responsibility that I probably will never escape. For better or for worse, it's always going to weigh on me. I'm never going to feel like I've done enough. And I'm not mad about it. I'm grateful for it. Because I think that...

brokenness has has made me who I am and it helps me do the things I do but it instilled something in me that I just feel a tremendous responsibility for and and so I I don't know I think I've probably spent you know I'm 41 now I've spent three decades trying to earn that and And I still haven't. And I will probably spend three more decades trying to earn that. And I still won't.

brokenness has has made me who I am and it helps me do the things I do but it instilled something in me that I just feel a tremendous responsibility for and and so I I don't know I think I've probably spent you know I'm 41 now I've spent three decades trying to earn that and And I still haven't. And I will probably spend three more decades trying to earn that. And I still won't.

And it'll be a part of me that's always feeling, not that it's not good enough, but that I have not done enough. And, and, and I know this is a story shared by plenty of folks who are descendants from survivors of genocide and whatnot, but, oh man, it just, it always hits. And it's like, I feel, and it's this juxtaposition, right? Cause I go through my life largely stress and anxiety free, right?

And it'll be a part of me that's always feeling, not that it's not good enough, but that I have not done enough. And, and, and I know this is a story shared by plenty of folks who are descendants from survivors of genocide and whatnot, but, oh man, it just, it always hits. And it's like, I feel, and it's this juxtaposition, right? Cause I go through my life largely stress and anxiety free, right?

And I'm aware of that and I'm grateful for that. And then there's moments where I sit with it and I'm just like, I can still hear, I can still see Aunt Vera telling me this. And I'm like, keep going, do better. You have a responsibility, do more. Needless to say, I'm being very...

And I'm aware of that and I'm grateful for that. And then there's moments where I sit with it and I'm just like, I can still hear, I can still see Aunt Vera telling me this. And I'm like, keep going, do better. You have a responsibility, do more. Needless to say, I'm being very...

i'm very careful with explaining like i want our i want olympia and adira of course to be proud as armenians they're only a quarter but they're still armenian they got the last name too i want them to be aware of this stuff and be proud of their family and obviously their mom is going to have some some big big stories for them too but um i'm also trying to be mindful of the fact that like maybe i'll wait until after you know they're a little older to really go into the details of it but uh you know it's these things shape us man and i like i said i i am

i'm very careful with explaining like i want our i want olympia and adira of course to be proud as armenians they're only a quarter but they're still armenian they got the last name too i want them to be aware of this stuff and be proud of their family and obviously their mom is going to have some some big big stories for them too but um i'm also trying to be mindful of the fact that like maybe i'll wait until after you know they're a little older to really go into the details of it but uh you know it's these things shape us man and i like i said i i am