Arlan Hamilton is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, a seed investment fund established in 2015. The fund focuses on investing in overachieving, underrepresented startup founders. In June 2022, TechCrunch reported that Backstage Capital had laid off most of its staff and was pausing net new investments. In May 2018, Hamilton announced the firm's intention to raise a $36 million fund specifically for Black female founders.