Raymond Braun

Raymond Braun
Raymond Braun
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Stanford University
Occupation(s)	Media personality; Journalist; Endurance athlete; LGBTQ advocate

Raymond Braun is an American media personality, journalist, and LGBTQ advocate.

Early life and education

Braun grew up in Toledo, Ohio, a city in Northwest Ohio. The first time he saw a queer person on TV was Matthew Shepard.^[1]^[2] He graduated from Stanford University.^[3]

Career

Raymond is an accomplished endurance athlete and sports broadcaster.^[4] In 2023, he set a World Record as the first person to complete seven triathlons on seven continents in seven consecutive days.^[5] He undertook the World Triathlon Challenge to raise awareness and funds for mental health programs, honoring his personal recovery journey from OCD.^[6]

In 2013, Braun was an associate product marketing manager for YouTube Entertainment Marketing. He developed and implemented YouTube's first LGBTQ+ marketing campaign, #ProudToLove.^[7] The effort generated millions of views and widespread support. Afterwards, he became the LGBT marketing lead for Google and YouTube. In January 2015, Braun took a leave of absence from Google to start a YouTube channel focused on LGBT issues.^[3] As of 2018^[update], he is a contributing editor for Seventeen.^[1] Braun is the host of the 2019 documentary, State of Pride.^[8]

Awards and honors

In 2014, Braun was recognized on Forbes' 30 under 30 in marketing and advertising.^[7]

In 2015, Braun was listed on the OUT 100.^[9]

In 2016, Braun was again recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 "All Star Alumni".^[10] The Financial Times listed Braun as the No. 1 placement in their Power Rankings list of Top 50 Future LGBT Leaders.^[11] In the Financial Times profile, Danielle Tiedt, the CMO of YouTube, stated that Braun "left a permanent imprint" on the company's culture.^[12]

In 2020, Braun accepted the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary for State of Pride, which he Executive Produced and Hosted.^[13]

References

^ ^a ^b Braun, Raymond (January 18, 2018). "Here's Why Pretending to Be Straight in High School Was a Big Mistake for Me". Seventeen. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
^ Perkins, Josh (June 27, 2018). "Raymond Braun is the social media star fighting for queer representation". Very Good Light. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
^ ^a ^b Weiss, Geoff (October 13, 2015). "Why This 25-Year-Old Marketing Star Left His Job at YouTube to Launch a Philanthropic YouTube Channel". Entrepreneur. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
^ "World Record Holder Raymond Braun Shares Story of 7 Triathlons in 7 Days Across 7 Continents". CBS News Texas. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
^ "Soho House Run Club West Hollywood Hosts Record-Breaking Athlete Raymond Braun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
^ "Raymond Braun Details His 777 World Triathlon Challenge on Fox 5 DC". Fox 5 DC. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
^ ^a ^b "Raymond Braun, 23". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
^ Kumar, Naveen (June 11, 2019). "This Documentary Reveals What Pride Means Across the Country". Teen Vogue. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
^ "Out100: Raymond Braun". Out. November 9, 2015.
^ "Forbes 30 Under 30: All Star Alumni". Forbes. 2016.
^ "Power Rankings: Top 50 Future LGBT Leaders". Financial Times. 2016.
^ "Power Rankings: Top 50 Future LGBT Leaders". Financial Times. 2016.
^ "2020 GLAAD Media Awards Winners". Billboard. July 30, 2020.

External links

Raymond Braun at IMDb

[:0-1] Braun, Raymond (January 18, 2018). "Here's Why Pretending to Be Straight in High School Was a Big Mistake for Me". Seventeen. Retrieved June 13, 2019.

[2] Perkins, Josh (June 27, 2018). "Raymond Braun is the social media star fighting for queer representation". Very Good Light. Retrieved June 13, 2019.

[:1-3] Weiss, Geoff (October 13, 2015). "Why This 25-Year-Old Marketing Star Left His Job at YouTube to Launch a Philanthropic YouTube Channel". Entrepreneur. Retrieved June 13, 2019.

[4] "World Record Holder Raymond Braun Shares Story of 7 Triathlons in 7 Days Across 7 Continents". CBS News Texas. Retrieved January 23, 2025.

[5] "Soho House Run Club West Hollywood Hosts Record-Breaking Athlete Raymond Braun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 23, 2025.

[6] "Raymond Braun Details His 777 World Triathlon Challenge on Fox 5 DC". Fox 5 DC. Retrieved January 23, 2025.

[:2-7] "Raymond Braun, 23". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2019.

[8] Kumar, Naveen (June 11, 2019). "This Documentary Reveals What Pride Means Across the Country". Teen Vogue. Retrieved June 13, 2019.

[9] "Out100: Raymond Braun". Out. November 9, 2015.

[10] "Forbes 30 Under 30: All Star Alumni". Forbes. 2016.

[11] "Power Rankings: Top 50 Future LGBT Leaders". Financial Times. 2016.

[12] "Power Rankings: Top 50 Future LGBT Leaders". Financial Times. 2016.

[13] "2020 GLAAD Media Awards Winners". Billboard. July 30, 2020.

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