Kel Rakowski is thinking about what’s next

Kel Rakowski is one of our fave founders here at Social Capital. Kel is the founder of Lex, a social app for the queer community. We first discovered the app a few years ago when doing brand research for a client — Lex’s branding is drool-worthy, and has appeared on a ton of our client mood boards. As a founder, Kel’s credentials are pretty wild. She raised $7.2M in funding and the app had over 1 million downloads with zero marketing spend — as marketers, we know this is no small feat. Lex has also been featured in some of the world’s coolest pubs, including The New York Times and Vogue (and Social Capital, duh).

Kel recently made the decision to sell the company, which she wrote about in depth on her Substack, Work Unseen. She’s now sharing her knowledge through Intro, where you can book in for a 30 minute call, and is working as a culture consultant through Office Kel Rakowski. She’s an insanely inspiring person all round, and we were hyped when she said yes to chatting with Social Capital! Over to you, Kel.

Can you introduce yourself in a few sentences?

I’m Kel—a founder and creative who spent two decades in NYC, weaving together art, design, and tech. I founded Lex, a social platform for the queer community that grew through word of mouth and was recently acquired. I’m a late-bloomer (both in life and career), here for people on unconventional paths and against traditional timelines.

What do you do for work?

I’m focused on sharing what I’ve learned through writing, consulting, and advising founders on building people-first brands and cultures. Mostly regrouping post-acquisition and opening myself up slowly to find what comes next through my Substack - Work Unseen.

How did you get to where you are today?

A long and winding road. I traversed various industries in NYC - starting as an art book designer (giant, heavy monographs), which led me to discover my obsession for digital image archives which inspired me to start blogging, weaving and eventually build a tech start up. I dropped out of art school, and eventually graduated. My best education was the 7 years I spent at Todd Oldham learning about film, art, gay culture, and how to make things happen.

What does living a good life mean to you?

I’m a hardcore Taurus. I live for beauty and pleasure. Good life to me is quiet. I’m living in nature now. Being surrounded by love, peace, fresh food, happy dogs, pleasing colors, libraries, access to art and culture, cold water and soft cotton clothing.

What’s something you wish you’d known 5 years ago?

It’s one thing to know things. It’s another thing to put things into practice and fully embed it into your life. One the practical side - you probably don’t need to build an app, build a website that works on mobile.

Who’s someone you look up to?

I recently stumbled upon a biography of Elise de Wolfe and immediately marked her as my hero. Quick overview: Born in New York City in 1859, de Wolfe was one of the first female interior decorators, transforming dark, ornate Victorian spaces with lighter, simpler styles and uncluttered layouts. She was “secretly openly” lesbian, obsessed with chintz and green-and-white stripes, dyed her hair blue, was named best-dressed in Paris, practiced yoga, was a vegetarian, and volunteered twice as a nurse in WWII. She was also a failed actress. Her incredible range of talents, care for others, commitment to health, and love for animals make her a true queen in my eyes.

What’s the best life lesson you’ve learnt?

Facing hurdles—whether it’s limited resources, time, or talent—forces me to think creatively. This is where I do my best work. Stripping down to the essentials and squeezing out every bit of value leads to the most focused, impactful product.

On the other hand, having access to too much "free money" leaves me feeling paralyzed. I’ve learned this the hard way from taking VC investment into my startup.

What is one thing you recommend?

Writing every day. Even one word. Keeping journals throughout every stage of your life. Just to mark the day, with a simple sentence is helpful. Writing helps you document, understand, and see progress or patterns that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. Re-read the journals when you’re feeling stuck or when you’re ready to reflect. My other recommendation is get an instant camera and start a scrapbook. Take one pic a day or every time you see a friend.