In partnership with
🚀 TL;DR
Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire made viral anti-Muslim remarks on X.
COO Sumaiya Balbale, a respected Muslim executive, resigned after leadership refused to act.
Over 1,000 founders signed a letter demanding accountability.
It’s time to invest in communities that stand for dignity. This is the Ethos behind Dhow.
👋 Salaam, Dhow Community
Last month, one of the most respected women in venture quietly walked away from one of the most powerful firms in the industry. Most people missed it. But for those who are paying attention, it was the loudest story in Silicon Valley.
Her name is Sumaiya Balbale. Until August, she was the Chief Operating Officer at Sequoia Capital. And when she resigned, the reason was clear: per the Financial Times, Sumaiya was concerned about Maguire’s posted Islamophobic rhetoric. Leadership did nothing. She raised concerns. They still did nothing. So she left.
“Balbale raised concerns… She left soon after, feeling her position had become untenable.”
– Financial Times
This isn’t about a tweet. It’s about a culture. It’s about power. And it’s about who feels safe being principled inside institutions that claim to champion founders of every background.
📍 The Backstory
In July, Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire posted this tweet:
He was referring to New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. However, the message reached far wider. For many Muslim technologists, it was yet another attack dressed up as “opinion.” The kind of attack that spreads quietly but hits deeply.
Maguire’s tweet went viral. His follow-up video reached more than four million views. The backlash came fast. Over 1,000 founders and technologists signed an open letter demanding that Sequoia condemn the remarks and take accountability.
“We cannot accept leadership from a firm whose partners engage in hate speech and spread bigotry.”
– shaunmaguire.fyi
Inside the firm, things were less clear. According to reporting by the Financial Times, multiple Sequoia employees and partners were uncomfortable with the post. But senior leadership declined to take public action. They cited Maguire’s “right to free speech.”
And then came the resignation.
👤 Who Is Sumaiya Balbale?
Sumaiya is more than her high-ranking title. She was a bridge between Sequoia’s partners and its founders. A former executive at Walmart. A board member at Shake Shack. A deeply trusted operator.
Sumaiya Balbale is the former COO & Operating Partner at Sequoia. Previously, she was VP of E-Commerce, Mobile and Digital Marketing at Walmart US and Chief Marketing Officer at Jet.com
“Her departure caused consternation among staff and portfolio companies.”
– Financial Times
In a firm where operators often get overshadowed by investors, Sumaiya was the rare exception. She represented values, integrity, and execution. She brought in founders who didn’t look like the Valley default. She stayed off Twitter, but her impact ran deep.
That’s why her resignation hit so hard. And that’s why Sequoia’s silence since has hit even harder.
🧩 The Pattern: Silence as Policy
Let’s be honest. This wasn’t just about Maguire. Or Balbale. Or one firm.
A few days later, Keith Rabois, managing director at Khosla Ventures, publicly blamed Replit founder Amjad Masad’s “friends” for the October 7 attacks, while denying any wrongdoing by the IDF.
“Your friends should have not raped, murdered and killed.”
– Keith Rabois on X
Replit is a Khosla portfolio company. Rabois still sits at the top of the firm. And once again, no statement. No accountability.
The pattern is simple: when a Muslim executive or founder is attacked or slandered, institutions fall quiet. When leadership is asked to respond, they cite neutrality. When someone takes a stand, they are the one who leaves.
Silence is not safety. And for our community, that truth has never been clearer.
📣 Why Dhow Exists
We built Dhow for moments like this.
Not because we want to fight every injustice on the timeline. But because we believe the most powerful answer to exclusion is creation. Not just critique.
At Dhow, we are building a platform where:
Muslim founders have access to capital that respects their ethics
Muslim investors can support community without compromise
Values-aligned leadership is not a risk factor, it is the point
Sumaiya Balbale should not have had to walk alone. And the next generation of Muslim operators shouldn’t have to wonder whether their values will cost them their seat at the table.
💡 What Comes Next
We cannot change the way Sequoia or Khosla respond to their own partners. But we can build a world where our response is louder, faster, and more effective.
Share this story. Most people still don’t know.
Invest in Muslim-led companies.
Back platforms that make safety structural, not optional.
And most of all, stay in community. Power grows where people move together.
📄 Read the open letter → shaunmaguire.fyi
📰 Source reporting → Financial Times
📬 Subscribe to Dhow Dispatch → You’re already here
🤝 Join Dhow → Visit our platform
Thank you for reading. Thank you for staying loud. Thank you for building a future that doesn’t just include us, but centers us.
Join Dhow. Join the movement. Subscribe at https://dhow.app/.
Founders need better information.
Get a single daily brief that filters the noise and delivers the signals founders actually use.
All the best stories — curated by a founder who reads everything so you don't have to.
And it’s totally free. We pay to subscribe, you get the good stuff.
If you enjoyed this, you’d be doing us a HUGE FAVOR by just clicking the ad above - we appreciate it!