How to raise startup capital

    Payment Options

        • Free
        About Course

        Arlan Hamilton will show you how to raise startup capital as she did with millions of dollars as the founder of investment fund Backstage Capital, and have generated millions of dollars in revenue as the founder of three companies — Backstage, Runner, & Arlan Was Here LLC — all for a combined $20+ million in the past 5+ years!

        Since 2015, I have invested in nearly 200 companies led by women, people of color, and LGBTQ founders! I have reviewed THOUSANDS of companies and their pitches, and NEGOTIATED with hundreds of millionaires and billionaires.

        How to raise startup capital

        Let me save you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars by teaching you fundamental lessons, rules of the road, tips, and hacks to skip the mistakes many entrepreneurs make.

        For the more advanced entrepreneur, let’s unstick you and open up even more potential for you to raise and earn capital for your company.

        Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on  LinkedIn

        Arlan Hamilton is a remarkable entrepreneur who built a venture capital fund from the ground up, while homeless.

        She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT.

        Started in 2015, Backstage has now invested over $15M into 175 startups led by underestimated founders and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Quartz.

        Arlan made history by making the cover of Fast Company as the first Black woman non-celebrity to do so, and her book “It’s About Damn Time” is out on Penguin Random House’s business imprint Currency.

        Learning Points

        • How to get “in the room” — even virtually…
        • Where to find your “edge”
        • When to quit your day job
        • The huge mistake 99% of all entrepreneurs make while pitching
        • The 3 takeaways that will help you negotiate with any millionaire with confidence
        • How to get your first (or 100th) “yes” from an investor
        • The hack that will help you skip the investor route altogether
          and much more.

        • Arlan’s intro & what you’ll learn (required)
        • Student introductions! [welcome]
        • Course reading list [highly recommended]
        • Arlan’s incredible journey
        • Portfolio company testimonials: Curlmix & Uncharted Power
        • Portfolio company testimonial: Haute Hijab
        • Portfolio company testimonial: Sunhouse
        • Portfolio company short film: Haute Hijab
        • Download my 65-page action guide to complement this masterclass

        Videos

        Instructor Speaking Profiles

            Arlan Hamilton - Image 06 (March 10, 2026)
            • Inspiring Innovation

            Arlan Hamilton is a trailblazing entrepreneur who defies the odds and inspires countless individuals with her remarkable journey. Rising from homelessness to becoming a prominent figure in the venture capital industry, she is the epitome of resilience, determination, and unwavering belief in her vision. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, Arlan has […]

            • (22)

            User Reviews

            View other courses available

                NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING (NLP) TRAINING & CERTIFICATION Up Your Game. Master Your Mind. Be Unstoppable. Feel like you’re not making the impact you want? Our NLP training and certification program will help you, communicate better and become highly effective at everything you do to make a big impact. Increase your ability Impact others. Get past that […]

                • Instructor: James R. Elliot
                • Free
                    • Women Empowerment

                    The FEARless Masterclass tackles the multi-faceted impact fear has on our lives and empowers you with the skills to rewire your brain and transform any fear into rocket fuel. Whether you’re experiencing imposter syndrome, stress, difficulty setting boundaries, people-pleasing, or something else [there’s a lot of ways fear shows up!], this course will empower you […]

                    • Instructor: Dr. Rebecca Heiss
                    • Video Course
                        • Media Training

                        What is The Ultimate VSL? And why do you need one? A VSL (Video Sales Letter) is the future of marketing and something you have definitely come across multiple times in a week. It incorporates automation by generating clients and revenue all day and all night. You don’t have to be in “client acquisition mode” […]

                        • Instructor: Kerry Barrett
                        • Currently Discounted
                            Jeff-Bloomfield-1

                            For the first time ever, individual sales people and small business owners have direct access to The Braintrust Academy same programs. Jeff Bloomfield and his NeuroSelling® team created to help Fortune 500 companies (like Nationwide, United Healthcare, Mitsubishi Electric, Cisco, John Deere, Northwestern Mutual, and many others) achieve hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. […]

                            • Instructor: Jeff Bloomfield
                            • Currently Discounted
                            • 5 (1 reviews)
                              Simon T. Bailey
                              • Life Coaching

                              Through Simon’s membership program BrilliantU,™ you’ll be inspired to break free from limitations, escape the cycle of conformity, and unleash your unique gifts to the world. BrilliantU | Simon T. Bailey TAKE THE LEAD IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY Experience fulfillment and joy in your career. Feeling undervalued at work? You’re not alone. Eighty-one percent of […]

                              • Instructor: Simon T. Bailey
                              • Subscription
                                  Rock Star Speaker Coaching

                                  Take your growth to the next level. This Rock Star Speaker Coaching package includes our premier public speaking course – How to be a “Rock Star” Public Speaker – as well as three, 45 minute customized one-on-one communication coaching sessions. “Rock Star Speaker Coaching” Public speaking is a learned skill. And, becoming a better speaker […]

                                  • Instructor: Liz Brunner
                                  • One-Time Payment
                                      Masters Course in Public Speaking

                                      Public speaking is a learned skill. And, becoming a better speaker is about becoming a better communicator. This comprehensive Masters Course in Public Speaking has been designed to take place over four weeks, allowing you, as the student, to garner the most knowledge and value from the lessons. As modules and topics unfold over weekly […]

                                      • Instructor: Liz Brunner
                                      • One-Time Payment

                                          Learn how to cultivate a brand by maximizing your presence & leveraging the power of your personal brand through leadership.   Cultivating A Leadership Brand Nadia has anchored and hosted feature programs for CNN International, CNN Airport Network and MNet Television (South Africa) and reported for CNN Weekend. Nadia was formerly Editorial Producer for CNN’s […]

                                          • Instructor: Nadia Bilchik
                                          • Online Course

                                          The profiles and artwork embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.

                                          WeSpeak Global provides costs that are accurate at time of publishing.

                                          These remain the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.

                                          Course Fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only.

                                          Speakers Inc.

                                          Connecting you with the perfect speaker.

                                          We connect you with world-class speakers to create impactful, memorable events.

                                          Find the Perfect Speaker

                                          Tell us about your event and we’ll match you with the right speaker.

                                          © All rights reserved 2026.  Designed using Voxel

                                          AI Assistant
                                          Speakers Inc Logo 2024
                                          Privacy Overview

                                          This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.