Rhian Beutler
@rhiankatie
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Founder + CEO @fromgovalo | Executive Chairman @venntov | she/her
SoCal/SF
Joined June 2008
Why we can't stop saying gay, a story. On the first day of my senior year of high school, a new boy showed up in my AP English class. He had transferred from a prestigious private school to my public school, and I was confused. I asked him why he moved and he shrugged . 1/x.
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His joy and comfort living as his authentic self is a core memory of mine. The store is longer but the tl;dr is he went to an Ivy, and is an immunologist literally working on curing cancer. He is my brother and best friend. I would move mountains for him. 12/x.
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There are kids like him right now across the US who are SCARED with the new legislation passing. If they thought they were safe they no longer think that. One of my mentee's shared that they feel like no one wants them to live. I DO. Don't you?. 13/x.
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There is a LOT of anti-queer legislation being passed at the state level right now. FIGHT IT. Queer kids need to feel safe. They deserve to feel safe. DO SOMETHING. 14/x.
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But he did! He turned 18 and he came and lived with us. His parents only allowed him to keep the clothes on his back. They came to our house and called him every name under the sun and my mom stood outside and said "you can't hurt him anymore, I will not allow it". 9/x.
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Call your legislators at all levels. Encourage the passage of FEDERAL protection of the LGBTQIA+ community. Queer lives matter. Also, be a safe adult. Be like my mom. Every kid and every person deserves to feel safe.
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Him and my friend would watch The Simpsons together while my friend did Calc. He acted like my friend was always there. Like he had always existed as a member of our family. Rock steady. Be rock steady for the LGBTQIA+ folks in your life. Show up. Vote. Call.
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I remember his excitement after his first date with another boy. I remember how excited he was to be able to dress the way he wanted. I remember how he came into my bedroom EVERY MORNING WITHOUT KNOCKING to ask me if he looked good in his outfits. 11/x.
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He blossomed while living with us. My parents and the aforementioned social worker took him shopping, made sure he had everything he needed for school and he became like my brother. 10/x.
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I would also be remiss to not mention my Dad’s rocksteady support of my bff. My Dad is an engineer’s engineer and can be a bit rough around the edges but has a heart of gold. He fully supported all of this. He also played bass and my friend played guitar and they would jam.
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I asked him "is that why you are at our school?" and he said yes and then proceeded to tell me his parents had found out he was gay, pulled him from the school, called him horrible names, abused him, and that he was MISERABLE. He said he was scared to go home every day. 6/x.
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He asked, almost in tears, "how did you know?" . I explained that my uncle was gay and that I had grown up around queer people and that I didn't care and that we could obviously still be friends and that I wouldn't tell ANYONE. Then everything clicked. 5/x.
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I went home and told my parents. I begged them to do something about it. They said they would think about it, and they did. My Mom is a green card holder so she said he couldn't come and live with us until he was 18 because that would be considered kidnapping. 7/x.
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My Mom also shared his writings (he loved to write) with her friend, a social worker (my mom was a school nurse and she worked with the said social worker). I lived in fear that he wouldn't live to see 18. 8/x.
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I had lost most of my friends due to graduation and I decided he was going to be my new friend, and much to my excitement he seemed just as happy to be my new friend. We decided to partner together on a project, his mom insisted that she come to my house as well . 2/x.
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At this point, he and I were spending EVERY part of the school day that wasn't in class together. One day, with all the grace of a 17-year-old in the early 2000s who didn't know this is inappropriate I asked him "so. you're gay right?" . He looked at me horrified. 4/x.
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2) Centering the lived experience of the LGBTQIA+ community is CRITICAL. 3) There has been an overwhelming positive response to this twitter thread. Thank you all. Remember, you are loved. It gets better. In solidarity always,.Rhian.
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Okay so this is going mini viral. Other actions to take. Donate to: @TrevorProject @LALGBTCenter @AliForneyCenter @TransEquality @sageusa @PointFoundation @HRC . Also engage in mutual aid, but donating locally and directly to those who need it. And again, be the safe adult.
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I'm first gen and he is a refugee so I didn't think much of it. Literally thought "European parents are going to European". My Mom sat with this other mother and spoke with her but afterwards she told me something was off but she couldn't put her finger on it. 3/x.
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A few more things!. 1)This story is about a man I know and love. He’s a real person and his whole story is not mine to tell, nor will I. His bravery and the way he has walked through the fire of adversity is breathtaking.
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If you’re reading this and you have other organizations you want to encourage folks to give to that will positively impact the LGBTQIA+ community please drop them here. (This includes gofundmes for gender affirming surgery, for folks experiencing financial difficulties, et al).
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My 15yo is taking AP Computer Science Principles. She has a 99.7% . “Is writing code really this easy?”. Me: 😐.
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Very last thing. I spoke with my friend and told him how big this has gotten. I won’t speak for him, but to say this: . He asks that you donate to @theuwcofficial . Here is how:
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I just became an angel investor! . Thank you to @ArlanWasHere and the entire Backstage Crowd team. You have made this process accessible and understandable. ♥️🚀.
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My daughter's school orientation was Zoom bombed with hate speech and porn in case you are wondering how back to school is going.
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@nick_tenbrink No, lol. “I prefer to work alone so no one can mess up my work, plus it interferes with my productivity”. Same kid has a highly organized notion that when she is a part of group projects makes sure everyone conforms to her standards. 👀.
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I stayed silent during the “newsie” scandal of the week. You know the one, where an influencer lionized a known human trafficker and rapist for their “marketing tactics.”. I stayed silent mostly out of exhaustion. I stayed silent because I was not surprised. I stayed silent
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My Dad starts his new job on Monday and I am so excited for him. He is in his late 60s and an engineer who is about to work on bleeding edge tech. I don’t think I can say where but I will say- it’s a project most of us would be AMPED to be a part of. 💪🏼 Go Dad!.
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Hi my dog is really sick and in the hospital (night 2) so if you could send positive vibes our way that would be super appreciated. 💖
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Hey!. I have 2,000 followers! At the beginning of my year my goal was 1,000 so I’m feeling proud of myself. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊.
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In a product meeting for a company I am advising. Had to say "I'm speaking" multiple times to be listened to, as the team of men insisted on explaining to me how dependencies worked repeatedly. Happy day after #IWD2021.
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Please stop emailing me asking to consult with you on your funded SaaS project for free. Give me equity or gtfo.
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This makes my heart hurt and my stomach ache. This room was launched while many Jews in North America (including me) were still actively fasting and praying and not on social media. The amount of falsehoods being spewed is abominable.
There’s a room on clubhouse right now that is literally just a bunch of people talking about why it’s ok to hate jews so I’m done with that app for awhile.
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This week @kvlly and I interviewed some 🔥 candidates for roles at our supersecretstartup™️. To say I feel confident in what we are building is an understatement.
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Our team @fromgovalo has been working super hard on building a world-class app for Shopify merchants. Today we join the elite @ShopifyPlus Certified App Partner program. Out of the 7k+ apps in the ecosystem, under 100 apps hold this designation.
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@youfoundanisha Congrats!!. 1. Always advocate for yourself. If you don’t fight for your spot at the table very rarely will anyone give it to you.2. Don’t confuse kindness with weakness.3. People will be mean, they will try to snub out your spark. DO NOT LET THEM.4. Always be yourself.
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This week @fromgovalo welcomed 5 new team members and…. We’re trending in the @Shopify App Store!!
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I can overhear my daughter leading a meeting right now and her leadership style is somewhere between a positive sports coach and a hyper direct executive. “Great effort but you spelled her name wrong.”.
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One of my daughter’s friends (14) is starting a wellness brand and sent my daughter a “welcome gift.”. Better branding and unboxing than 90% of all DTC.
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Who wants to be in an ecommerce/dtc/founders book club with me? . fyi: we won't just read business books. 1 meeting per month 💜.
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@DanaSchwartzzz as the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor (and practicing Jew)- the rhetoric of the @realDonaldTrump campaign is terrifying.
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Hi all!. Wow, I’m so glad my tweet gained as much traction as it did 😊. Conversations like this will save 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ folks lives. This Sunday, be excellent to one another, and do one thing for yourself that brings you joy ✨.
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Just did an exciting thing! Everyone cross your fingers and send good vibes ✨.
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Hello everybody!. Let’s all agree to be at least 2% more kind this week ❤️. ( next week we are going to double down). Who’s with me?.
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Just got to pitch @Jason + a group of awesome investors + the @LAUNCH syndicate for demo day. I can’t thank the @launchincubator team enough, especially Jacqui and @leblanc_au for all of the hard work you put into us, the founders. An experience of a lifetime. 💜.
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I had my daughter at 20, then finished two degrees, then had a successful career in banking. After that I got sick and almost died. Then I went into business at 28.5 w my business partner and my life is fucking awesome. Also ✨intimate relationships don’t define you ✨.
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About to speak about SEO at Shopify LA!. So so so happy to be back ❤️
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Just dropped my daughter off for her senior year and I didn’t take a single picture. So instead I’m going to post a picture of her very first day at school, shot on a potato.
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I have a lot of mutuals with this dude. It’s good to know who you do business with and give oxygen to. Now y’all know. Misogynists always tell on themselves.
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My daughter turned 16 yesterday 🥺. May she.Forever speak her mind.Fight for justice and equity.Phone bank in Spanish and English .Lead with empathy.Sparkle on the inside.Go for the gold.Speak loudly, even when her voice shakes. So proud of her every day ❤️
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My daughter went to homecoming tonight and organized the pre and post event. Boss moves.
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NO REVENUE SHARE ON THE FIRST MILLION YOU MAKE ON THE APP STORE. NO REVENUE SHARE ON THE FIRST MILLION YOU MAKE ON THE APP STORE. *** AT THE END OF THE EACH YEAR THE FIRST MILLION STARTS OVER***. #ShopifyUnite.
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Did @fromgovalo just extend an offer to the best sales person I have ever worked with? . Oh yes. Did he accept?. Oh yes. 🚀.
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I’m not going to name names but did @fromgovalo launch gift cards for 10 portfolio companies of a publicly traded company between yesterday and today?. Yes, yes we did. Huge thanks to our *entire* team for making this come to fruition 💜.
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I’m baaaaaaack and ready to go. Sometimes you gotta slow down to speed up. To everyone who sent me messages- thank you so much, I appreciate them greatly. Onwards! 🚀.
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Some happy news in a sea of sadness. My daughter, Rhys, just verbally committed to play D1 water polo @BucknellU . Am Yisrael Chai!
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🎙️🎙️🎙️. I'm thrilled to announce @CommerceTea, a new podcast for Shopify merchants hosted by @kvlly and I. 💪🏼 Learn tips & tricks for growing your @Shopify store.💪🏼 Hear from commerce experts.💪🏼 Be inspired by merchant success stories. Grab your mug and join us every Tuesday AM.
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Personal announcement: . Our family adopted a puppy. Meet Winnie! . She’s 11 weeks old and 15 pounds and is probably a GSD+ Rottie . She loves puppy lullabies, chasing her tail, solving puzzles, eating treats, and being an agent of chaos.
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It’s cute that #VCtwitter is posting MLK Jr quotations. But. and stay with me here. what about actually writing checks to underestimated founders? . Put your money where your mouth is.
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I will match dollar for dollar donations to @AbortionFunds up to 2k until end of June. (DM me or post your donation in comments). Next month I will do another match. Fellow tech execs, join me in making a pledge like this. Channel our rage into action. Protect women.
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My 14yo daughter just showed me some new clothing she liked. Something that struck me: she had opened and looked at EVERY SINGLE marketing email from three different brands, and starred the ones she wanted to revisit. Is this just her? Is this gen z?.
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This week, let’s all lead with kindness. It costs nothing to be kind. ROI: increase in happiness and joy for you and those around you. 💖.
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Gatsby went over the rainbow at 8:55am PDT 01.17.2021. He was ~ 8 years old and the best boy. He loved all humans, especially children - and would always stop to make sure you were doing okay. Best known for cuddling, booping, and his hugs, he will be forever remembered.
Hi my dog is really sick and in the hospital (night 2) so if you could send positive vibes our way that would be super appreciated. 💖
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A lot of people on the internet are in their (antisemetic) feelings about the amount of Jewish representation in the cabinet. Let me just tell you, from the bottom of my heart, fuck you. Am Yisrael Chai.
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Everyone please keep this congregation in your heart and prayers right now. Today is Shabbat, and there is an armed hostage takeover of a synagogue. B”H all will be safe and healthy and there is a peaceful resolution.
Reports are coming out of Colleyville, Texas of an armed hostage situation in a synagogue.
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The team that’s reinventing digital gifting (@fromgovalo) just received their first payout from @Shopify !. @kvlly … it’s happening and we are just getting started 💜🎁.
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Thankful today and every day for @Shopify and the @ShopifyPartners ecosystem. You changed my life forever.
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My grandmother was just taken from her skilled nursing home to the hospital with symptoms of COVID. If you’re not wearing a mask you are selfish and amoral.
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I want the world to know that my daughter won her school award for technology. Also she was voted "most scrappy." Future entrepreneur? #GirlsWhoCode.
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Got my hair done for the first time since February 2020 and I love it so much. My old hair salon closed and my stylist now works in Palm Springs. 10/10 worth the drive.
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I don’t even have words for how I feel about this absolute powerhouse of a woman joining our team. We at @fromgovalo are honored to have Caitlin join our team. She is a beacon of energy and talent, leads with kindness and empathy and is everything we need. Ad astra. 🌟.
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Thanks to @JoshHighland , @ShopifyDevs and @Shopify for making it so I can live a life I could never have imagined a decade ago. There’s been a lot of talk on twitter about motherhood and whether one parent needs to stay at home for optimal parenting. I say- no. Also- ew it’s
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I am incredibly proud of Kelly for making the courageous decision to put her mental health first. So often in the start-up world we hustle until we drop. She saw past hustle culture and prioritized her well being, and I am very happy for her. 1/x.
Some life news:. March was the most difficult month of my professional life and I have been struggling with my mental health since the beginning of the year. Being in a leadership role at 2 startups finally caught up with me, and I had to make some difficult decisions.
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A lot of folks are tweeting about what this all means. Here is what REALLY matters right now:. People aren't going to get paid today. Team members, up and down the ladder. Human beings, the heartbeat of tech. Our PEOPLE aren't going to get paid today.
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I’ve had a tough week and just had a great call with a friend. Everyone- call someone you care about and check in on them this weekend. It will be appreciated.
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Imagine what would have happened if you just listened to your beta testers. cc: all startups who release in beta and then don’t listen to feedback.
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Merry Christmas from our interfaith and non traditional family. However today looks for you, and however today feels for you (the holidays are complicated for many) we are sending you love and light.
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Watching new @ShopifyDevs soar brings me so much joy. There is so much room at this table, come join us 🤗 . If you have questions about how to start building always feel free to reach out!.
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Entrepreneurship pep talks with Rhian.
Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Love what you do. We love this pep talk from Shopify dev @rhiankatie
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Comparing Covid mandates to the Nazi regime is beyond gross.
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I love that social media allows people who are not trained or skilled in a specific area to fake it so hard and gain so many followers that everyone believes them. They are also known as con artists.
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My 15yo is vaccinated!. What will this mean for her summer?. ⭐️ overnight camps and sleepovers .⭐️ full contact water polo .⭐️ hugging her friends .⭐️ hugging her grandparents .⭐️ knowing she didn’t contribute to anyone getting sick since the beginning of the pandemic
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Just so we are all clear - when I earn a PhD I will be Dr. Rhian Beutler. I remember being young and with my grandparents at a fundraiser and being mortified when they introduced themselves with their full honorifics. I get it now. When you earn the title you use it.
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