Where does Nick Taranto work?

Nick Taranto is Founder/CEO of Ignition Benefits.

What companies did Nick Taranto found?

Nick Taranto founded Ignition Benefits.

Where did Nick Taranto go to school?

Nick Taranto studied at Harvard Business School (MBA); Harvard Kennedy School (MPA); Dartmouth College (BA).

Nick Taranto

Founder

Founder/CEO at Ignition Benefits

Santa Monica, California, United States

FoundedIgnition Benefits · YC

Find your path to Nick

13,260 people in our graph share verified history with Nick — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Grey BakerunlockedNick: together at McKinsey & Company (2009)

×11Nick: together at McKinsey & Company

About

Nick Taranto is the founder and CEO of Ignition Benefits, which helps companies with under 200 employees manage employee benefits. He previously co-founded the meal kit company Plated, which was acquired by Albertsons in 2017, served in the US Marine Corps, and holds an MBA from Harvard and a BA from Dartmouth.

Founder/CEO at Ignition Benefits YC F26

Intro paths

Nick went through Y Combinator (Fall 2026) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.

Their group partner at YC was Aaron Epstein, General Partner at Y Combinator — the partner who ran Ignition Benefits's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗

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In turn, Nick can intro founders to Ignition Benefits's investors below.

Ignition Benefits's investors · 2

Mute VenturesNew York Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2026

Experience

Ignition BenefitsChief Executive Officer and Foundercurrent2026 — present
HOP WTRFounder & Chairman2019 — 2026
MANGO INCChief Executive Officer2022 — 2025
Trove SocialFounder & CEO2018 — 2020
PlatedCo-Founder & Co-CEO2012 — 2018
United States Marine CorpsInfantry Officer2010 — 2014
Goldman SachsPrivate Wealth Advisor2011 — 2012
McKinsey & CompanySummer Associate2009
KOMPIP MicrofinanceMicrofinance Consultant/Fulbright Grantee2006 — 2007
Hands On Disaster ResponseGroup Leader2005 — 2006

Frequently asked questions

Who is Nick Taranto?: Nick Taranto is the founder and CEO of Ignition Benefits, which helps companies with under 200 employees manage employee benefits. He previously co-founded the meal kit company Plated, which was acquired by Albertsons in 2017, served in the US Marine Corps, and holds an MBA from Harvard and a BA from Dartmouth.
Where does Nick Taranto work?: Nick Taranto is Founder/CEO of Ignition Benefits.
What companies did Nick Taranto found?: Nick Taranto founded Ignition Benefits.
Where did Nick Taranto go to school?: Nick Taranto studied at Harvard Business School (MBA); Harvard Kennedy School (MPA); Dartmouth College (BA).

Founder mafias

Y Combinator mafia10,563

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Sam AltmanPresidentFounded Tools for Humanity +3 Garry TanPresident and CEOFounded Y Combinator +1 Jessica LivingstonCo-founderFounded Y Combinator Alexis OhanianPartnerFounded Reddit Fred EhrsamYC Summer 2012Founded Nudge +1 Matt HuangYC Winter 2011Founded Paradigm +1

+ 10,556 more →

Techstars mafia2,444

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Brad FeldCo-founderFounded Techstars Ventures Vlad TenevBarclays Accelerator, Powered by Techstars - Tel Aviv 2017Founded Harmonic +1 Baiju BhattBarclays Accelerator, Powered by Techstars - Tel Aviv 2017Founded Cowboy Space Corporation +1 David CummingsTechstars Boulder Accelerator 2012Founded Undaunted +7 Gleb ChuvpiloTechstars Boston Accelerator 2014Founded Thor Directed Energy +6 Fritz LanmanTechstars New York City Accelerator 2012Founded Doppler Labs +3

+ 2,437 more →

Harvard Business School mafia1,241

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Brad GerstnerMBAFounded Altimeter Mike Maples JrMBAFounded Pattern Breakers Hristo BorisovOPM Class 64Founded Payhawk Noubar AfeyanVisiting LecturerFounded ProFound Therapeutics +16 Wade MyersMBAFounded RealManage +6 Nick PerrettPLDFounded Prosper list view +3

+ 1,234 more →

McKinsey & Company mafia900

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Elad GilConsultantFounded Brain Co. +1 Mike SpeiserAssociateFounded Pure Storage +1 Tony XuBusiness AnalystFounded DoorDash Alexandre ProtAssociateFounded Smartven +1 Inaki BerenguerAssociateFounded InfiniteWatch +2 Ryan XueManagement ConsultantFounded Andco +2

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Goldman Sachs mafia619

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Fred EhrsamTraderFounded Nudge +1 Matt HuangSummer AnalystFounded Paradigm +1 David VélezAnalystFounded Nubank Tarek MansourEquity Derivatives AnalystFounded Kalshi Colin WebbSummer AnalystFounded Saucepricing +1 Jeppe RindomSummer InternshipFounded Pleo

+ 612 more →

Same school

Also attended Harvard Business School2,000

Aileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy Ventures Jim BreyerFounder & CEO of Breyer Capital Mike Maples JrCo-founding Partner at Floodgate Neeraj AgrawalGeneral Partner at Battery Ventures Hristo BorisovCo-founder & CEO of Payhawk Victoria TreygerGeneral Partner at Felicis Ventures

+ 1,994 more

Also attended Harvard Kennedy School370

Jeremy PhilipsInvestor at Spark Capital Mike MoradiGeneral Partner at Cortado Ventures Andrew ForysiakOwner, AJF and Associates at Riphean Investments Douglas Lemott Jr.Vice President, SAP National Security Services at Riphean Investments Gayatri SarkarFounder and CEO at Advaita Capital Ms. BakkerManaging Director and Founder at Longitude Capital

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Also attended Dartmouth College673

Scott SandellExecutive Chairman & Chief Investment Officer at NEA James DetweilerVP of Investments at Felicis Ventures Ben RobbinsInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Mounisha AnumoluInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Ren RileyAdvisor at Oak Investment Partners Jeffrey PaineFounding Partner at Golden Gate Ventures

+ 667 more

Also attended Horace Mann School52

Alexi Nazem, MDGeneral Partner at AlleyCorp Zachary GinsburgVenture Partner, Calm Ventures at Gaingels Schuster TangerInvestor at Tq Ventures Llc Sarah BallChief Compliance Officer at TCV Mike WangChief Product Officer at Long Journey Ventures Andre JabbanPartner and Head of Capital Formation at Prime Movers Lab

+ 46 more

Shared employers

+ 1,994 more

Find your path to Nick

About

Founder/CEO at Ignition BenefitsYC F26

Intro paths

Ignition Benefits's investors · 2

Experience

Frequently asked questions

Founder mafias

Y Combinator mafia10,563

Techstars mafia2,444

Harvard Business School mafia1,241

McKinsey & Company mafia900

Goldman Sachs mafia619

Same school

Also attended Harvard Business School2,000

Also attended Harvard Kennedy School370

Also attended Dartmouth College673

Also attended Horace Mann School52

Shared employers

Also worked at HOP WTR1

Also worked at MANGO INC1

Also worked at Plated4

Also worked at Goldman Sachs2,000

Founder/CEO at Ignition Benefits YC F26