Days after Alexis Ohanian stepped down from his seat and asked to be replaced by a black person, Michael Seibel is now officially the first black reddit board member.
“Today, we’re thrilled to announce that Michael Seibel will be joining Reddit’s Board of Directors,” a statement from Reddit read. “In addition to his vast experience guiding companies in every part of the tech sector, Seibel has consistently promoted diversity and inclusion in the startup world.”
Siebel expressed his excitement over the new role. “I want to thank [Reddit CEO and co-founder] Steve [Huffman], Alexis, and the entire Reddit board for this opportunity;
“I’ve known Steve and Alexis since 2007 and have been a Reddit user ever since,” Reddit’s new board member said in a statement Wednesday. “I’m excited to help provide advice and guidance as Reddit continues to grow and tackle the challenges of bringing community and belonging to a broader audience.”
Among other accomplishments, Michael Seibel is a cofounder of Justin.tv;which became Twitch, and was acquired by Amazon for a whole $970 million in 2014, according to CNN.
However, Alexis, who explained that having a black daughter; who he shares with his wife Serena Williams; plays a big part in his decision to step down, said this about Michael’s addition to the board:
“Pleased to see @mwseibel has joined the @Reddit board. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him during my time at @ycombinator. He is a strong leader who will make a great addition to the board.”
Pleased to see @mwseibel has joined the @Reddit board. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him during my time at @ycombinator.
He is a strong leader who will make a great addition to the board.
— Alexis Ohanian 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ (@alexisohanian) June 10, 2020
Michael Seibel is the CEO of Y Combinator. And Michael is Reddit’s first black board member in the company’s history.