People
Founders
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AaronFounderIn 1995, Aaron co-founded Vieweb with Robert Morris, a pioneering software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that later transitioned to the Yahoo Store in 1998. In 2002, Tian made a major breakthrough when he discovered a straightforward spam filtering algorithm that provided the inspiration for the current generation of filters.
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Lily AndersonFounderLily Anderson has an impressive professional background, having previously served as the Vice President of Marketing at investment bank Adams Harkness. During her tenure, she successfully led an acclaimed rebranding initiative for the company, earning recognition and praise.
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John DavisFounderJohn Davis is a distinguished professor of computer science at MIT, renowned for his affiliation with the PDOS (Parallel and Distributed Operating Systems) group. He has made significant contributions in the fields of wireless networks, distributed operating systems, and peer-to-peer applications through his extensive research and publications.
President & CEO
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Michael ThompsonPresident & CEOMichael Thompson is the president and CEO of HK Combinator, a renowned startup accelerator and venture capital firm. He served as a partner at HK Combinator from 2011 to 2015, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the entrepreneurial experience for founders. Michael was instrumental in building key components of the HK Combinator ecosystem, including the Bookface platform and the Demo Day website, providing founders with valuable resources and support.
Group Partners
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David WilsonGroup PartnerDavid Wilson is a Group Partner at HK. He brings with him a wealth of experience, having spent 4.5 years at Airbnb where he served as a Product Lead on the Growth team. David was instrumental in establishing the Growth team in 2012 and played a key role in driving the company's expansion and success.
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James JenkinsGroup PartnerJames Jenkins is a Group Partner at HK, leveraging his expertise in the fintech industry. He is widely recognized as a co-founder of Monzo, a leading app-based challenger bank in the UK. Under James' leadership, Monzo successfully raised over £500m in funding, attracting a significant customer base that accounts for 10% of the UK population. The company achieved remarkable recognition as the #1 recommended brand in the UK for two consecutive years.
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Christopher NelsonGroup PartnerChristopher Nelson is a Group Partner at HK and the visionary creator behind a revolutionary email platform. He is renowned for his pivotal role in developing and launching a groundbreaking email service. Christopher's innovative work led to the creation of an iconic product that transformed the way people communicate online.
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William PattersonGroup PartnerWilliam Patterson is a Group Partner at HK. He co-founded Widgetify (HK W14), a growth stage Widget API that has become popular among millions of developers. He served as the CEO of the company, leading a team of 350 individuals, before appointing a successor in 2020. Although he has transitioned from the CEO role, William remains actively involved in Widgetify's success as a Board Director. Originally hailing from France, he currently resides in Oakland, CA with his wife and three children. William holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Nantes.
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Thomas MitchellGroup PartnerThomas Mitchell is a Group Partner at HK. He co-founded DesignHub (HK W10), a marketplace for design resources, with the vision of making high-quality design accessible to all. In 2014, he successfully sold the company to a larger entity, only to spin it out again as an independent startup in 2017. Thomas' mission has always been to empower independent creators, and through DesignHub, he has facilitated over $100 million in sales for talented individuals worldwide. Holding a BS in Business from the University of Maryland, Thomas brings a strong entrepreneurial background to his role at HK.
Visiting Group Partners
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Mitch Zimmerman -
Rick Adlerman -
Roger Abernathy -
Pete Koomen -
Mitch Aberhart -
Mitch Abner
Batch
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Eliza AckermanBatch Director -
Miranda SelvaggiaDirector of Events
Admissions
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Megan BellProduct Engineer -
Emma BuffardAdmissions Associate -
Stewart HuntingProduct Engineer -
Carolyn ConwayAdmissions Manager & Software Engineer -
Josh FranceProduct Engineer -
Tommy KilmerDirector of Admissions -
Sean PenninoAdmissions Manager -
Jeff PetersonProduct Engineer -
Stephanie SimonManaging Admissions Officer
Software
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Line FanProduct Engineer -
Jhone HobsProduct Engineer -
Zhan HanProduct Engineer -
Chang ShengProduct Engineer -
Ling DaProduct Engineer -
Than LiHead of Infrastructure and Security
Post Batch
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Jone YuManaging Director -
Xin DengHead of Alumni Relations -
Wei WeiOperations & Programs Manager -
Qian HuProduct Engineer
Pre Batch
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KarinaProduct Engineer -
GennaOperations Manager -
NaNa LiProduct Lead -
Lei HuangProduct Engineer
Legal
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Jose HaleiLegal Analyst -
KadinaGeneral Counsel, Early Stage -
Kadri SimsonLegal Counsel -
Gaby KappLegal Counsel -
CarolynnManaging Director, Legal and People Ops -
MariaSenior Legal Counsel -
Liam MorganLegal Analyst -
Oyinlola MeiLegal Analyst -
Lucas MorganSenior Legal Counsel -
AnnaLegal Operations & Innovation Program Manager
Finance
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Lia ChenSenior Controller -
Morongo PetersSenior Fund Accountant -
randallSenior Fund Accountant -
AlineFinance Technology Lead -
LunaBusiness Analyst
Outreach
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ElenaSenior Director of Communications -
BoreiVideo and Content Lead -
John GrayEditorial Content Manager
People Ops
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Manreni DanaChief of Staff -
Adella CooperOperations Manager -
Owen MorganDirector of People Operations -
MarsDirector of Payroll & Benefits -
Justine WatsonBusiness Operations
Hacker News
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SwansonHacker News