Richard Socarides is the founder and CEO of Kozani Capital LLC, an early-stage venture capital and corporate advisory firm. Socarides launched Kozani after 25 years in senior management roles at industry-leading companies across finance and information services, media, and technology. Socarides is recognized as a highly skilled corporate strategist, communicator, and consensus builder. As an advisor to both boards and senior management at public and private companies, he has developed deep expertise in identifying, evaluating, and mitigating risk. He has a proven track record leading communications, government affairs, and social impact while managing teams around the world. Socarides was executive vice president and chief communications officer at investment research leader Gerson Lehrman Group, the largest expert network, providing insights to the world’s biggest investors. He was one the firm’s top five corporate executives. Prior to that, Socarides held a number of senior roles at Time Warner and New Line Cinema. He has led communications efforts during an initial public offering process, a successful Academy Award “Best Picture” campaign, a CEO transition, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a federal criminal investigation. In the public sector, Socarides served on Capitol Hill and was later appointed by President Bill Clinton as special assistant to the president at the White House. Prior to that, he practiced corporate law and was a partner at a New York firm. Socarides currently sits on the board of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors, which supports existing and aspiring board members who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and others. He previously served on the boards of Friends of the High Line, Lambda Legal, and GLAAD (founded as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and was a trustee of the State University of New York, the largest university system in the country. Socarides is a longtime writer for The New Yorker and has been published in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, among others. He is also a regular CNN commentator. He is widely quoted in the media on economic and business issues and is an expert at finding and hiring diverse talent. Socarides’s firm, Kozani Capital, is one of only a few LGBTQ-owned venture capital firms. He has received many honors and awards over the years, including the Public Service Award from the Human Rights Campaign. He has appeared on the Financial Times’ 100 Top Global LGBTQ+ Executives, the OUT 100, and similar lists. Socarides has been profiled in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and elements of his life were portrayed in a hit ABC miniseries titled When We Rise.