Celebrating Pride Month
By Hibu |
Hibu is proud to recognize and celebrate LGBTQ+ Americans. Here are just a few who have contributed to technology, business and more.
2023
Arlan Hamilton, Co-Founder of Backstage Capital
Arlan Hamilton founded founded Backstage Capital in 2015, a fund that invests in "underestimated founders." Underestimated founders for the fund are defined as women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community.
To date, Backstage Capital has raised more than $15 million and has invested in more than 150 startups.
Martine Rothblatt, founder of Sirius XM and United Therapeutics
Martine Rothblatt cofounded Sirius XM Satellite Radio in 1990, then founded the biotech company United Therapeutics in 1996.
Rothblatt came out as transgender in the 1990s. She's been open about her past life as a man, and has since been a vocal advocate for the trans community. She was featured on the cover of New York magazine in 2014 as the highest-paid female CEO.
"I took a journey from male to female, so if I hide that, I’m, like, just replicating the closet of my past with another closet of the future," Rothblatt said in a 2014 interview. "That made no sense, and that’s why I’m open."
She's been with her wife, Bina Aspen, for almost 40 years, and before she transitioned. The couple have four children together.
Ana Arriola, Head of Design / AI & Insights / Cloud + AI at Microsoft
Ana Arriola was born in Los Angeles and was always a child of the world: part Mexican, Swedish, and Danish––and she grew up in Japan. Born male, when she was six, she knew for the first time in her life that she was female.
Ann Mei Chang, CEO of non-profit organization Candid
After gaining over 20 years experience in Silicon Valley - including work with Apple, Intuit and Google - Ann Mei Chang moved to the social and public sector. She was appointed Chief Innovation Officer at Mercy Corps in 2013 and served as the Senior Advisor for Women and Technology in the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues at the U.S. Department of State, where she was part of the committee that conceived and launched the Alliance for Affordable Internet aimed at expanding Internet access in developing countries.
Ann Mei was recognized as one of the 'Women In the World: 125 Women of Impact for 2013' by Newsweek. In June 2019 she was named one of the most powerful LGBTQ+ people in tech.
Since October, 2021, Chang leads the non-profit organization Candid as CEO.
2022
Jimena Almendares, Facebook Product Executive
When she grew up in Mexico, Jimena Almendares was a three-time national champion in ice skating. Today, as a product executive at Facebook, Jimena Almendares works to develop Facebook apps. She previously served as CEO and President of Intuit Payments and then as OkCupid’s Chief Product Officer. She frequently speaks on topics relating to women, technology, and diversity. You can check out her thoughts on LinkedIn.
Leanne Pittsford, Founder of Lesbians Who Tech
Leanne Pittsford grew up in a conservative family in Southern California. Today she is recognized as a “soldier of social change.” (San Francisco Magazine.) She is the founder of Lesbians Who Tech, dedicated to creating more networking opportunities and increase visibility for lesbians and queer women. The organization has grown from 30 people at a happy hour to a community of 15,000 queer women and their allies in over 30 cities.
Angelica Ross, Actress, Founder/CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises
Angelica Ross is an American actress, businesswoman, and transgender rights advocate. A self-taught computer programmer, she went on to become the Founder and CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry. Ross began her acting career in the web series Her Story (2016), after which she received recognition and critical acclaim for her starring roles in the drama series Pose (2018–2021) and the anthology horror series American Horror Story.
Keith Rabois, General Partner at Founders Fund
Keith Rabois is an American technology executive and investor. He is widely known for his early-stage startup investments and his executive roles at PayPal, LinkedIn, Slide, and Square. Rabois invested in Yelp and Xoom prior to each company’s initial public offering and sits on both companies’ boards of directors. He is currently a general partner at Founders Fund. He is considered a member of the “PayPal Mafia,” a group that includes PayPal co-founders Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Jawed Karim, and Elon Musk.
2021
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc.
Timothy Donald Cook is an American business executive who has been the chief executive officer of Apple Inc. since 2011.
Peter Arvai, Co-Founder of Prezi
Peter Arvai is a Hungarian/Swedish businessman. He has worked incredibly hard to champion diversity and inclusion at Prezi since co-founding the company back in 2009.
Claudia Brind-Woody, VP / Managing Director of Intellectual Property at IBM
Claudia Lavergne Brind-Woody is the Vice President and Managing Director of intellectual property at IBM. She has won numerous awards, but most recently in 2019 she was named one of the most powerful LGBTQ+ people in tech.
