Riley Roberts (born: 1988, Age: 36 years old) is an internet entrepreneur, web developer and a graduate of Boston University, who is popularly known as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s boyfriend and fiance
As we all know, Riley’s girlfriend is a United States politician who has been serving as the representative for New York’s 14th congressional district since 2019. As expected the spotlight that comes with her political office and other activities has rubbed off her partner. Riley Roberts is generally a skilled professional who has carved a strong niche in his field as an internet entrepreneur and web developer.
Summary of Riley Roberts’ Bio
- Full Name: Riley Roberts
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: 1988
- Place of Birth: Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
- Riley Roberts’s Age: 36 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Education: Chaparral High School, Boston University
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Single
- Riley Roberts’s Partner: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- Riley Roberts’s Parents: Connie (mother)
- Riley Roberts’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 11 inches
- Riley Roberts’s Height in Centimetres: 180 cm
- Riley Roberts’s Weight: 79 kg
- Famous for: being Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s boyfriend
- Riley Roberts’s Twitter: @rileyroberts
Riley Roberts is From Arizona
The tech expert is an American born in the state of Arizona in 1988. Only his year of birth has been established but the exact date he was born has not been revealed.
In the same vein, the family background of AOC’s boyfriend is yet to be made public, thus, we can’t say where his roots are and if he grew up with siblings. However, his mother has been identified as Connie but there is nothing on his father yet. Connie, a real estate agent, and AOC are said to share a close bond.
For his education, Riley Roberts completed his high school studies at Chaparral High School. To further his education, he joined Boston University where he received a B.S in Business Administration and Management, as well as a B.A. in Sociology. A versatile personality, Riley did not stop at his college degree as he has gone on to acquire a Digital Marketer certification in E-commerce Marketing Mastery. He also has a Conversion Funnel Mastery certificate.
He is a Technology Consultant and Entrepreneur
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might be the expert in politics but her boyfriend is the tech guru and business savvy person in the relationship. Robert Riley has used his techniques to help many companies in generating more revenue and keep their clients happy. He is specifically skilled in conversation optimization, digital marketing, and user experience design among other aspects of business consultation.
Riley’s career journey took off in 2012. Straight out of college, the technology expert started working as a UX growth consultant at Riley UX and stayed on the job for a year before shifting to work for subscription start-ups to explore his potential in the internet space.
In 2014, he joined an online home management platform known as HomeBinder. A platform that allowed him to explore his tech skills, HomeBinder is focused on managing modern homes, making it easier for such homeowners to enjoy the luxury of their modern gadgets.
So far, Riley has helped several businesses in maintaining a robust customer relationship. More than 60 start-ups can boast of improved digital presence through his help. He also co-founded a SaaS start-up. In 2017, DigitalMarketer awarded Riley with certificates for e-commerce marketing and conversion funnel. DigitalMarketer is a leading online community for digital marketing specialists.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Met Riley Roberts in College
In true nerdy style, these two met in the academic environment. They both attended Boston University which is where their paths crossed for the first time. While Riley was an Economics and International Relations student, Ocasio-Cortez was studying Finance and Sociology at the time. Their meeting point was at the venue of a weekly conversation hosted by the dean of the university.
The couple dated while in college but went their separate ways after graduation. While Riley went back home to Arizona, AOC returned to her home in New York where her political career was gradually nurtured. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign brought them back together. AOC was a bartender on the campaign trail while Riley was in web design and advertising.
To make the relationship work on solid ground, Riley left Arizona and moved to the Bronx where he stayed with AOC. Their current residence is listed as Parkchester Neighborhood, New York City, USA. Though the two are yet to be officially married, they seem happy together and have been supportive of each other’s careers. The couple now resides in their Bronx home with a French bulldog named Deco.
Riley Has Been a Big Supporter of AOC’s Political Ambitions
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s boyfriend has been with her through thick and thin, starting from when she was a nobody in the political arena. Riley has been a pillar of support for AOC in her tenure in the House of Representatives where she’s representing New York’s 14th congressional district.
He was there at her swearing-in ceremony that admitted her into the House of Representatives in January 2019. While her fellow new House members were mostly women, AOC stands out as the youngest female representative to serve in US Congress. She joined the House at the young age of 28 and having a supportive partner in Riley Roberts has proved very helpful in the journey ahead. Also, Riley’s expertise in social media must have helped AOC during her campaign.
Their Relationship Has Been Documented in a Netflix Project
Though a social media expert, Riley can only be found on Twitter. The couple also tries hard to keep their personal affairs out of the media space but when you occupy a position as a public servant, you can hardly escape scrutiny. The Netflix documentary titled Knock Down the House captured the relationship between Riley and AOC but their relationship is not the major focus. The documentary follows the four women that ran campaigns in 2018 – Cori Bush, Amy Vilela, Paula Jean Swearengin, and Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez.
Riley showed up a few times in the film though he doesn’t bask in the glory of the spotlight. He prefers to leave the stage for his girlfriend to shine while he supports her from the background. The documentary often shows him in a gathering of supporters or filming events with his phone. The documentary also captures the couple in the comfort of their home where Riley’s support is also felt.
While they don’t flaunt their affairs in the public space, cameras have captured the duo on several occasions, hanging out as normal couples do. In September 2020, they were seen on a date at Serafina in the Meatpacking District.
Appearing on Knock Down the House Brought Negative Comments His Way
After watching the documentary, a lot of comments about Riley’s appearance started making the rounds. Memes and mean comments emerged about the way AOC’s boyfriend looked. A journalist named Marie Le Conte tweeted that AOC’s boyfriend didn’t look good. She wondered how an ambitious and stunning millennial woman was shackled to someone who looked like a “bin raccoon”.
Her comment popularized the term “bin raccoon” and many people started using it, though she has since deleted the tweet. Riley’s hair and beard were the subjects of public ridicule at the time but both Riley and AOC remained unfazed. Besides, AOC’s mom – Blanca, is a big fan of Riley and looks forward to the day they start a family.