Alexis Ohanian

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

I mean, she could have just got me a normal birthday gift. But I'm still grateful for it.

I mean, she could have just got me a normal birthday gift. But I'm still grateful for it.

She's not. She got to see me graduate from college, which was awesome. She was there in Charlottesville for that. And yeah, no, it's wild. I've never... I don't know. I think...

She's not. She got to see me graduate from college, which was awesome. She was there in Charlottesville for that. And yeah, no, it's wild. I've never... I don't know. I think...

You know, one of the big things I did a few years back was I joined the Board of Robin Hood, the nonprofit in New York, and I made a big grant to child care there in the city, in part because it was there in Brooklyn when my mother and father were working at the Ashland Place apartments there in Fort Greene. Aunt Vera would pinch hit and just watch me and stuff.

You know, one of the big things I did a few years back was I joined the Board of Robin Hood, the nonprofit in New York, and I made a big grant to child care there in the city, in part because it was there in Brooklyn when my mother and father were working at the Ashland Place apartments there in Fort Greene. Aunt Vera would pinch hit and just watch me and stuff.

So my one of my parents were at work and all that as a little kid. And so child care. makes a huge difference. And, and we were lucky enough to have a family member just across, almost across the hallway and, you know, another building. And, uh, and so I wanted to pay it forward and that was in honor of her. That was a tribute to her.

So my one of my parents were at work and all that as a little kid. And so child care. makes a huge difference. And, and we were lucky enough to have a family member just across, almost across the hallway and, you know, another building. And, uh, and so I wanted to pay it forward and that was in honor of her. That was a tribute to her.