Fundraising Fox

Parker Conrad

Founder

Co-founder & CEO at Rippling · Co-founder & CEO at Zenefits

San Francisco, CA

Writes $5K – $50K checks · typically $25K

FoundedRippling · YCZenefits · YC

About

Parker Conrad built Rippling into a $16.8 billion company past $1 billion of annual recurring revenue, growing 78% a year — and he did it on the second attempt at the same idea. A Harvard chemistry graduate who was managing editor of the Crimson and beat testicular cancer at 24, he co-founded Wikinvest and SigFig with his freshman roommate, then Zenefits, which became the fastest-growing SaaS business in history before a licensing-compliance failure cost him the company in 2016. He started Rippling two months later with Prasanna Sankar, rebuilt the idea properly around an employee system-of-record, and has spent the years since proving the thesis was never the problem.

Beyond investing

Founded
Co-founded Zenefits in 2012 with Laks Srini through Y Combinator; it was called the fastest-growing SaaS business in history and hit a $4.5bn valuation before it collapsed. Co-founded Wikinvest, later SigFig, in 2007 with Mike Sha — his Harvard freshman-dorm roommate. Left Zenefits in 2016 after a licensing-compliance failure in its sales organisation, and started again two months later.
Family
Survived testicular cancer at 24; married with two children and lives in San Francisco's Mission District.

Mentioned above: the Y Combinator mafia → · the Zenefits mafia →

From Parker's own website — common ground for a warm intro.

Co-founder & CEO at RipplingYC W17

Intro paths

YC

Parker went through Y Combinator (Winter 2017) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.

GP

Their group partner at YC was Garry Tan, President & CEO of Y Combinator — the partner who ran Rippling's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗

In turn, Parker can intro founders to Rippling's investors below.

Rippling's investors · 41

Abstract VenturesSan Francisco · $250K – $750K checksACE & CompanyNew YorkAltos VenturesBurlingame · $1M – $3M checksAmino CapitalPalo Alto · $100K – $10M checksAnsa CapitalNew York · $5M – $15M checksBain Capital Tech OpportunitiesBostonBedrockLos Angeles · $5M – $30M checksBerkeley FrontierBerkeleyBoxGroupNew York · $1M checksCapitalGSan Francisco · $50M – $100M checksCapitalXLynnwood · $250K checksCoatue ManagementNew York · $1M – $20M checksDepth VenturesSan FranciscoEarth Venture CapitalElad GilSan Francisco · $100K – $10M checksFelicis VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $15M checksFikaCulver City · $1M – $10M checksFounders FundSan Francisco · $500K – $5M checksFundersClubSan Francisco · $250K – $5M checksG SquaredChicagoGlasswing VenturesBoston · $100K – $5M checksGreenoaksSan Francisco · $1M – $50M checksHakluyt CapitalLondonHitachi VenturesMunichHomebrewBurlingame · $100K – $500K checksKleiner PerkinsMenlo Park · $500K – $15M checksLightspeed Venture PartnersMenlo Park · $1.7M – $87M checksLiquid VenturesSan Francisco · $250K – $5M checksNight CapitalCapitolaSaga VenturesAustinSierra VenturesSan Mateo · $10M checksSnow Leopard Technology VenturesPuneSoma CapitalSacramento · $100K – $300K checksStandard CapitalSan FranciscoSV AngelSan FranciscoTCVMenlo Park · $10M – $500M checksThreshold VenturesPalo Alto · $500K – $20M checksTorch CapitalNew York · $750K – $1.5M checksUnanimous CapitalMenlo ParkValor Equity PartnersChicagoY CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2017

Co-founders at Rippling

PSPrasanna Sankar
Prasanna SankarCo-founder & CTO

Co-founder & CEO at ZenefitsYC W13

Intro paths

YC

Parker went through Y Combinator (Winter 2013) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.

In turn, Parker can intro founders to Zenefits's investors below.

Co-founders at Zenefits

LSLaks Srini
Laks SriniFounder/CTO

Experience

  1. RipplingCustomer Supportcurrent2016 — present
  2. StripeMember Board of Directorscurrent2025 — present
  3. ZenefitsCo-Founder and CEO2012 — 2016San Francisco Bay Area
  4. SigFig (prev Wikinvest)Co-Founder2007 — 2013
  5. AmgenProduct Manager2003 — 2006

Education

  1. Harvard UniversityBA, Chemistry1998 — 2003
  2. Collegiate

Skills & more

Product Development23SEO14Venture Capital10Start-ups50Entrepreneurship34Product Management18Business Development12Sales11Registered Investment Advisor2Management19Finance6Mergers & Acquisitions5

From Parker's professional profile.

Podcasts & interviews

featuring Parker Conrad

Frequently asked questions

Where does Parker Conrad work?
Parker Conrad is Co-founder & CEO at Rippling and Co-founder & CEO at Zenefits.
What check size does Parker Conrad write?
Parker Conrad typically writes checks of $5K – $50K.
What companies did Parker Conrad found?
Parker Conrad founded Rippling, Zenefits.

Paths to reach Parker

People who overlapped with Parker at the same organization — a shared school or employer with one of them is a warm way in.

Founder mafias

Same school

Shared employers