Raymond Braun

Raymond Braun is an American media personality, journalist, endurance athlete, and documentary filmmaker.

Early life and education Braun grew up in Toledo, Ohio, a city in Northwest Ohio. Braun graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Science, Technology, and Society and a Master of Arts in Media studies and Journalism. He received the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award for Scholastic Achievement from Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences.

In the documentary State of Pride, which Braun hosted and produced, he discusses how his upbringing in Ohio influenced his decision to pursue a career in media. He credits the internet and news media with exposing him to diverse stories that shaped his perspective and inspired him to study the impact of media and technology on culture at Stanford University. This interest later informed his work in content creation aimed at engaging and inspiring others.

Career Braun worked in marketing at YouTube and Google. In 2013, he developed and implemented YouTube's first LGBTQ+ marketing campaign, "#ProudToLove," which involved turning the YouTube logo into a rainbow. He later became the LGBTQ marketing lead for Google and YouTube.

In 2019, Braun hosted and produced the documentary State of Pride, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival. The film received critical recognition, winning the GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Documentary" and being listed by TIME as a "must-see" documentary for Pride Month. For his role as host and executive producer, Braun was named the "Doc Star of the Month" for June 2019 by the International Documentary Association.

He set a world record in 2023 as the first person to complete seven triathlons on seven continents in seven consecutive days. That same year, Braun participated in the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim, an open-water race organized by the Turkish Olympic Committee, where he swam from Asia to Europe. In 2024 he completed the Abbott World Marathon Majors, serving as a guide for Chris Nikic, who became the first person with Down syndrome to finish all six races in the series. In 2023, Raymond Braun hosted Fuel Something Bigger, a national storytelling series.

Braun is the founder of the Soho House Run Club. In a profile by The LA Times, Braun stated that his primary focus was on fostering community rather than solely on running. They also highlighted its efforts to be accessible to runners of varying abilities, including those with disabilities. Discussing the initiative, Braun stated, "There are so many conversations happening right now about isolation and how we're in a loneliness crisis. I wanted to provide an opportunity for people to socialize and make friends." In addition to his reporting, Braun participated in and covered the 2024 Paris Olympic Marathon Pour Tous, a public race held on the Olympic marathon course. While running, he conducted on-course interviews with Olympians and amateur runners, discussing their experiences, training, and motivations for taking part in the event.

Awards and honors 2014, Forbes 30 Under 30 in marketing and advertising 2015, the Out 100 2016, the Financial Times ranked Braun No. 1 on its "Power Rankings: Top 50 Future LGBT Leaders" list. In the Financial Times profile, Danielle Tiedt, the CMO of YouTube, stated that Braun "left a permanent imprint" on the company's culture. 2020, GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Documentary" for State of Pride That same year, he was named the "Doc Star of the Month" by the International Documentary Association.