Fundraising Fox
Jessica Livingston
InvestorFounderFounder, Retired at Y Combinator · Advisor, Co-Founder of Y Combinator at Liquid Ventures
England, UK
FoundedY Combinator · YC
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About
Jessica Livingston co-founded Y Combinator in 2005 and shaped its culture, running operations and famously screening founders for determination and honesty during interviews. Her book Founders at Work, a collection of candid interviews with startup founders, became a classic of the genre. She also created YC's Startup School and co-hosts the Social Radars podcast with fellow YC partner Carolynn Levy.
Beyond investing
- Founded
- Livingston co-founded Y Combinator in 2005 with Paul Graham, Robert Morris, and Trevor Blackwell.
- Education
- Studied at Bucknell University (BA, English) Studied at Phillips Academy (1989)
- Communities
- In 2013 she launched the Female Founders conference to inspire more women to start startups. She launched Female Founder Stories, a collection of interviews with 40 of Y Combinator's female alumnae.
- Family
- She married Paul Graham in 2008, and the couple have two children.
- More
- She was nicknamed the 'social radar' at YC for her ability to quickly evaluate people. She hosts The Social Radars podcast, interviewing founders of billion-dollar startups. She took a year-long sabbatical from Y Combinator in 2016 to spend time with family.
Mentioned above: the Y Combinator mafia →
From published sources — common ground for a warm intro.
Founder, Retired at Y CombinatorYC Unspecified
Intro paths
Jessica went through Y Combinator (Unspecified) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
In turn, Jessica can intro founders to Y Combinator's investors below.
Y Combinator's investors · 2
Co-founders at Y Combinator
Investments
Per curated public sources.
Books by Jessica Livingston
Podcasts & interviews
featuring Jessica LivingstonThe social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of YC, author)
Lenny's Podcast
Jessica Livingston: How to Build the Future
Taylor Hodge
Y Combinator co-founder Jessica Livingston on the beginnings of YC.
Y Combinator
How YC Was Created With Jessica Livingston
Lightcone
How YC Was Created With Jessica Livingston
Y Combinator
The Social Radars S2 Ep.1: Brian Chesky, Co-Founder & CEO, Airbnb w YC Co-Founder Jessica Livingston
The Social Radars Podcast
6 more appearances
- The Untold Stories of Y Combinator with Co-Founder Jessica Livingston2024-04-29
- Y Combinator cofounder Jessica Livingston: “Your idea is going to evolve”2024-02-29
- The Secrets of Y Combinator’s Early Success (with YC Co-Founder Jessica Livingston)2024-02-21
- From the Archives: Y Combinator Founders Paul Graham and Jessica Livingston on Studio 1.0 (2014)2023-08-18
- Jessica Livingston Unveils the Core Principles of Y Combinator's Successful Startups 🎯 #YCombinator2023-08-01
- Interview with Jessica Livingston, co-founder of Y Combinator2019-10-13
Colleagues at Y Combinator
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Jessica Livingston?
- Jessica Livingston co-founded Y Combinator in 2005 and shaped its culture, running operations and famously screening founders for determination and honesty during interviews. Her book Founders at Work, a collection of candid interviews with startup founders, became a classic of the genre. She also created YC's Startup School and co-hosts the Social Radars podcast with fellow YC partner Carolynn Levy.
- Where does Jessica Livingston work?
- Jessica Livingston is Founder, Retired of Y Combinator and Founder, Retired at Y Combinator and Advisor, Co-Founder of Y Combinator at Liquid Ventures.
- What companies did Jessica Livingston found?
- Jessica Livingston founded Y Combinator.
- What companies has Jessica Livingston invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Acely, Balto, Clever, Eden, Elpha, Exec, Expo, Hype and Vice, Modern Treasury, OpenAI, Qvin, RentHop, and 4 more.
- What podcasts and interviews feature Jessica Livingston?
- Tracked appearances include "The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of YC, author)", "Jessica Livingston: How to Build the Future", "Y Combinator co-founder Jessica Livingston on the beginnings of YC.", and 9 more.
Founder mafias
Y Combinator mafia10,594
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Liquid Ventures mafia5
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
About this profile. Compiled from public sources — Y Combinator's own website, press coverage and public professional profiles — and summarised by Fundraising Fox; every fact is kept with where it came from. Spotted an error, or would rather not be listed? Email privacy@fundraisingfox.com · How we build profiles · Your rights