Find your path to Nelson
601 people in our graph share verified history with Nelson — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
RustyunlockedNelson: together at Techstars (2022)
×11Nelson: together at Techstars
About
Nelson Ray leads SalesPatriot, which assists manufacturers in responding to Department of Defense contracting opportunities. He has experience in full-stack development and sales.
Founder at SalesPatriotYC W25
Intro paths
YC
Nelson went through Y Combinator (Winter 2025) — 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 SalesPatriot's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
→
In turn, Nelson can intro founders to SalesPatriot's investors below.
SalesPatriot's investors · 6
Co-founders at SalesPatriot
BR
Ben Rhodes-KropfFounder
MS
Maciej SzymczykFounder
Experience
- SalesPatriotCo-Founder & CEOcurrent2023 — presentSan Francisco, CA
- National Defense Industrial Association - (NDIA)Membercurrent2025 — present
- Aurora Defense GroupChief of Staff2023 — 2024Aurora, Illinois, United States
- Blue OriginStrategy Consultant2024
- ByDesignCo-Founder & Head of Product2021 — 2023Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- TechstarsAlum | Portfolio Company Founder2022Portland, Maine, United States
- Palmer Hamilton, LLCPhabLab Intern2019Elkhorn, Wisconsin, United States
Skills & more
Entrepreneurship9Engineering5Problem Solving6Product Development1
From Nelson's professional profile.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Nelson Ray?
- Nelson Ray leads SalesPatriot, which assists manufacturers in responding to Department of Defense contracting opportunities. He has experience in full-stack development and sales.
- Where does Nelson Ray work?
- Nelson Ray is Founder of SalesPatriot.
- What companies did Nelson Ray found?
- Nelson Ray founded SalesPatriot.
- Where did Nelson Ray go to school?
- Nelson Ray studied at UC Berkeley Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) program (Dual Degree | EECS & Haas School of Business); Y Combinator (SalesPatriot (YC W25)); University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business (Bachelor of Science - BS, Business Administration).
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
Techstars mafia2,005
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Brad FeldCo-founderFounded TechstarsGleb ChuvpiloTechstars Boston Accelerator 2014Founded Thor Directed Energy +6David CummingsTechstars Boulder Accelerator 2012Founded Undaunted +6Jagmeet LambaEntrepreneurshipFounded Certa +3Ben LammMentor & InvestorFounded Breaking +3T.J. ParkerTechstars Boston Accelerator 2013Founded Tjparker +2
+ 1,998 more
Stanford University mafia1,934
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Peter ThielB.A.Founded PayPalReid HoffmanB.S.Founded LinkedIn +2David SacksB.A.Founded YammerKeith RaboisB.A.Founded OpendoorGarry TanBSFounded Y Combinator +1Joe LonsdaleBSFounded Opto +5
+ 1,927 more
University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business mafia265
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Ivan ZhouBachelor of Science (B.S.)Founded Decagon +2Wendy JohanssonExecutive Education: Product ManagementFounded Misaludhealth +2Jay ParrishMBAFounded ROME Therapeutics +1Raj Shekhar SinghManagement of TechnologyFounded Z21 +1Nanxi LiuFounded Nanoly Bioscience +1Kevin ChouBachelor of Science - BSFounded Superlayer +1
+ 258 more
UC Berkeley Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) program mafia12
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Trishala JainBachelor of Science - BSFounded Buildbox +1Aditya GanapathiFounded CoraMaciej SzymczykBachelor of Science - BSFounded SalesPatriotMichael TrehanM.E.T.Founded HABITRohil AgarwalFounded The Context CompanyGatik TrivediBachelor of Science - BSFounded Lance
+ 5 more
Same school
Also attended UC Berkeley Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) program13
Tom SpringerAssociate at Ibex InvestorsAditya GanapathiFounder at CoraMaciej SzymczykFounder at SalesPatriotMichael TrehanFounder at HABITRohil AgarwalFounder at The Context CompanyGatik TrivediFounder at Lance
+ 7 more
Also attended Y Combinator2,000
Tarek MansourCo-founder & CEO of KalshiSuhail DoshiFounder of Mixpanel; founder of ParticleSubomi OluwalanaCo-founder & CEO of ConvoyArhaan A.Deeptech Fellow at Clear VenturesCollin WallaceGeneral Partner at Lobby CapitalVictor SantosVictor Scout at One Way Ventures
+ 1,994 more
Also attended UC Berkeley Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS)7
Michael JeonManaging Partner at Solasta VenturesGreg BatemanManaging Partner at Inflection Point VenturesPreston EllisFounder at AxiomDaphne KollerCEO & Founder at InsitroJunaid PopalzaiFounder at CarSignalAsh Yousefi, PhD, MBAFounder at FelixFusion
+ 1 more
Also attended Stanford University2,000
Peter ThielCo-founder & Partner at Founders FundDavid SacksCo-founder & General Partner at Craft Ventures; former White House AI & Crypto CzarGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia CapitalJim BreyerFounder & CEO of Breyer CapitalMike Maples JrCo-founding Partner at Floodgate
+ 1,994 more
Shared employers
Also worked at SalesPatriot3
Also worked at National Defense Industrial Association - (NDIA)5
Also worked at Blue Origin31
Mason AngelFounding Partner at Industrious VenturesA.C. CharaniaAdvisor - Ex. CTO Nasa at Balerion Space VenturesJordan NooneGeneral Partner at Embedded VenturesDylan TaylorGlobal business leader, commercial astronaut, and philanthropist active in the NewSpace sectorRob MeyersonCEO of InterluneChristopher LeManaging Partner at Actuate Ventures
+ 25 more
