With only an outdated laptop and the hope of breaking into the venture capital industry, Arlan Hamilton was living off food stamps and sleeping on the floor of the San Francisco airport. She wanted the opportunity to invest in the ideas and people who didn’t fit this stereotype of what a founder should look like because she couldn’t understand why people starting companies all had the same appearance . Hamilton lacked any Silicon Valley connections or networks, financial experience, or even a college degree. She did, however, possess a fiery tenacity and a strong desire to succeed.