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How It Works • Entrepreneur

Alexis Ohanian

Alexis Ohanian is an American internet entrepreneur and investor best known as a co-founder and former executive chairman of Reddit.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Alexis Ohanian is an American internet entrepreneur and investor best known as a co-founder of Reddit. He has also built a career in venture capital and startup investing.

What it is

Alexis Ohanian co-founded Reddit in 2005 with Steve Huffman and Aaron Swartz, creating one of the internet’s most popular social news and discussion platforms. He later served as Reddit’s executive chairman. Beyond Reddit, he co-founded the venture capital firm Initialized Capital, helped launch the travel search site Hipmunk, started the social enterprise Breadpig, and founded the venture firm Seven Seven Six.

Why it matters

Ohanian’s work at Reddit shaped how millions of people share and discover content online. His influence extends into venture capital, where he has backed numerous startups and supported new founders. For Canadian readers, Reddit’s global reach and Ohanian’s role in internet entrepreneurship are widely followed in Canada’s tech sector.

Key details

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 24, 1983, Ohanian is of Armenian American background. He studied at the University of Virginia. He was also a partner at Y Combinator, a prominent startup accelerator. Ohanian has been an advocate for the open internet and technology entrepreneurship.

In short

  • Co-founded Reddit, a major social news platform.
  • Co-founded Initialized Capital and Seven Seven Six venture firms.
  • Helped launch Hipmunk and Breadpig.
  • Former partner at Y Combinator.
Canadian angle

Ohanian has broad relevance for Canadian readers through Reddit’s global reach and his influence in internet entrepreneurship and venture capital, which are widely followed in Canada’s tech sector.

Quick questions

Who is Alexis Ohanian?
He is an American internet entrepreneur and investor best known as a co-founder of Reddit.
What companies did Alexis Ohanian help found?
He co-founded Reddit, Initialized Capital, Breadpig, and Seven Seven Six, and helped launch Hipmunk.
Where was Alexis Ohanian born?
He was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_Ohanian
    Supports: Birth date, nationality, Armenian American background, Reddit co-founding, Initialized Capital, Hipmunk, Breadpig, Y Combinator.
  2. Sloan Sports Conference — https://sloansportsconference.com/people/alexis-ohanian
    Supports: Seven Seven Six, Angel City FC, open internet advocacy, education, and career summary.
  3. EBSCO Research Starters — https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/alexis-ohanian
    Supports: Reddit co-founding, Initialized Capital, Hipmunk, advocacy, and family details.