Venture capital fund founder brings together diverse entrepreneurs and investors in LA

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Entrepreneurs, investors, job seekers, and hiring managers gathered in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday for the inaugural Your First Million LIVE convening.

"I wanted people to get together and I knew that my audience would make something magical happen. I also wanted to pack it with informational content," said Arlan Hamilton, managing partner of Backstage Capital.

The convening was aimed at amplifying the voices and talent of women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ communities and entrepreneurs.

"We definitely need more people to amplify our voices to be able to pave the way and go ahead of us so that it shouldn't be this difficult," said Khaliah O. Guillory, the CEO and founder of Nap Bar. "Because one thing I'm pretty sure of, if I wasn't a Black queer founder and my name was Bob, and I had a family of two, I would've already raised $2 million in my hoodie and flip flops," added Guillory.

"It's surpassing the dream, and I dream big," said Hamilton one day before the conference ended.

Many who attended find inspiration in Hamilton's dream and story. Hamilton is the author of two books, including "Your First Million: Why You Don't Have to Be Born into a Legacy of Wealth to Leave One Behind" and the founder of a venture capital fund.

"I essentially launched Backstage Capital while I was homeless," said Hamilton.

At the time, Hamilton would sleep at the San Francisco International Airport. She founded the company in 2015. Since then, it has raised nearly $30 million, and invested in 200 startups led by often-overlooked entrepreneurs.

About 1,500 hundred people from different parts of the country and world attended.

Among the speakers: actress and comedian Janelle James of ABC's "Abbott Elementary," writer and actress Issa Rae, and BET co-founder and first Black female billionaire in the U.S. Sheila Johnson.