Find your path to Elena
336 people in our graph share verified history with Elena — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Noubar AfeyanunlockedElena: together at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2020–2021)
×6Elena: together at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
×4Elena: together at Deerfield Academy
Elena: together at Two Sigma
About
Elena Zhao is the founder of Litmus, a hiring platform that evaluates software engineers through practical assessments.
Founder at LitmusYC S26
Intro paths
YC
Elena went through Y Combinator (Summer 2026) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
GP
Their group partner at YC was Jared Friedman, YC Group Partner — the partner who ran Litmus's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Elena can intro founders to Litmus's investors below.
Litmus's investors · 3
Co-founders at Litmus
SR
Shaivi RauFounder
Experience
- LitmusCo-Founder, CTOcurrent2025 — presentNew York, United States
- Columbia EngineeringResearch Engineer2025 — 2026New York, New York, United States
- Two SigmaSoftware Engineer Intern2025New York, New York, United States
- MetaSoftware Engineer Intern2024Menlo Park, California, United States
- Ridge Security Technology Inc.Software Engineer Intern2023San Jose, California, United States
- United Imaging - North AmericaArtificial Intelligence Intern2021Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyStudent Researcher2020 — 2021Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Elena Zhao?
- Elena Zhao is the founder of Litmus, a hiring platform that evaluates software engineers through practical assessments.
- Where does Elena Zhao work?
- Elena Zhao is Founder of Litmus.
- What companies did Elena Zhao found?
- Elena Zhao founded Litmus.
- Where did Elena Zhao go to school?
- Elena Zhao studied at Columbia Engineering (Bachelor of Science - BS, Applied Mathematics); Deerfield Academy (High School Diploma, General Studies).
Founder mafias
Y Combinator mafia10,230
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Sam AltmanPresidentFounded Tools for Humanity +3Garry TanPresident & CEOFounded Y Combinator +1Jessica LivingstonCo-founderFounded Y CombinatorAlexis OhanianPartnerFounded RedditFred EhrsamYC Summer 2012Founded Nudge +1Matt HuangYC Winter 2011Founded Paradigm +1
+ 10,223 more
Columbia Engineering mafia46
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Rodolphe ArdantMSFounded SpendeskMoawia EldeebBachelor of Science (B.S.)Founded Tempo Interactive +2Robert BrennanBachelor of ScienceFounded All Hands AI +1Kingsley R. ChinBachelor of Science (BSc)Founded IndependentmedexpertIan TolfreeBachelor of Science - BSFounded TBT PharmaJavier MataBachelor of ScienceFounded Yalo
+ 39 more
Two Sigma mafia30
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Michael TruellInternFounded CursorPaul ButlerQuantitative AnalystFounded Drifting In Space +1Jakob PalmstiernaWorkerFounded GsrRaymond WangInvestorFounded AeroVectDhaivat PandyaQuantitative ResearchFounded Verse MedicalSammy SidhuSoftware EngineerFounded Eventual
+ 23 more
Deerfield Academy mafia22
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Chase ColemanFounded Tiger GlobalMichael TolentinoHigh SchoolFounded Aviceda Therapeutics +2Oliver HillFounded Clearspace +1John LingFounded Meridian +1Dominic KwokHigh SchoolFounded HeronDan MeyerFounded CellChorus
+ 15 more
Same school
Also attended Columbia Engineering94
Rodolphe ArdantFounder & President of SpendeskPeter ParkerManaging General Partner at Mission BiocapitalLaszlo CzirjakManaging Partner at Interactive Venture Partners LlcKerry WuAssociate VP, Research & Partnerships at The Westly GroupTyler LancasterPartner — Co-Head of Ventures at Energize VenturesRemi SaidGeneral Partner at Partech Ventures
+ 88 more
Also attended Deerfield Academy80
Chase ColemanFounder & Partner of Tiger Global ManagementDan BartusPartner, Head of Research at Felicis VenturesSteve HarrickInvestor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Emerson GarnettPrincipal at Balerion Space VenturesBen CmejlaInvestments at General PartnershipElizabeth EarleVice President at BFG Partners
+ 74 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Litmus1
Also worked at Columbia Engineering9
Aditya NaganathPartner at KPCBCooper BatesAnalyst at Clean Energy VenturesAlessandr PiolGeneral Partner at AlphaPrime VenturesMoawia EldeebFounder/CEO at TempoSiddhi MittalFounder at yhangryJustin CohenFounder at Maritime Fusion
+ 3 more
Also worked at Two Sigma58
Michael TruellCo-founder & CEO of CursorJakob PalmstiernaPresident at GSRColin BeirneFounding Partner at Deviation CapitalDouglas RomanoffManaging Partner at Parameter VenturesSophia LuoPartner at Greylock PartnersDusan PerovicPartner at Two Sigma Ventures
+ 52 more
Also worked at Meta460
Nat FriedmanCo-lead of Meta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDGDaniel GrossMeta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDG and Safe SuperintelligenceDrew HoustonCo-founder & CEO of DropboxGabriel PereyraCo-founder & President of HarveyTinaInvestments & Portfolio Services Team Member at Clear VenturesMike ArpaiaComputer scientist working on machine learning and data infrastructure
+ 454 more