Turning Down Money on Principle

Arlan Hamilton, Backstage Capital
In conversation with: Ravi Belani, Stanford University

As Backstage Capital founder and managing partner Arlan Hamilton struggled to raise her first fund, she was offered a significant investment that would close out the fund. Vetting the investor, she discovered that the investor was actively supporting a political candidate whose platform and behavior was fundamentally opposed to her own values. She describes why she made the difficult decision to stand up for her principles and turn down the investment.