Philip Meng
InvestorFounderVenture Partner at 645 Ventures · Founder, CEO at Shepherd
San Francisco, California, United States
FoundedShepherd · YC
Find your path to Philip
297 people in our graph share verified history with Philip — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Anna SchmitzunlockedPhilip: together at Starbucks (2023)
Philip: together at Dartmouth College
×4Philip: together at Phillips Academy
×4Philip: together at Starbucks
About
Philip Meng studied electrical engineering and computer science at Stanford and conducted published research. He previously worked at Animoca Brands and 645 Ventures, and earlier at Tim Hortons, before founding Shepherd.
Founder, CEO at ShepherdYC S26
Intro paths
YC
Philip 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 Diana Hu, General Partner at Y Combinator — the partner who ran Shepherd's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Philip can intro founders to Shepherd's investors below.
Shepherd's investors · 6
Costanoa VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $8M checks · since 2024Era VenturesNew York · since 2024Greenlight ReGrand Cayman · since 2024Intact VenturesToronto · $1.5M – $7.3M checks · since 2024Spark CapitalSan Francisco · $500K – $25M checks · since 2024Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2026
Co-founders at Shepherd
IR
Ishan RamrakhianiFounder
ER
Elijah RennerFounder
Experience
- Shepherd (YC S26)Founder & CEOcurrent2026 — present
- 645 VenturesVenture Partnercurrent2026 — present
- 645 VenturesInvestment Intern2025 — 2026
- Freeman Spogli Institute for International StudiesAssociate Researcher2023 — 2026
- Dartmouth CollegeML & NLP Researcher2025 — 2026
- Animoca BrandsSummer Intern2024
- StarbucksBarista2023
Skills & more
Cheerful Disposition
Languages Chinese · English · Spanish
From Philip's professional profile.
Colleagues at 645 Ventures
Aaron Holiday
Co-Founder, Managing Partner at 645 Ventures
Abigail Hitchcock
Principal at Airbus Ventures
Blair Flicker
Senior Advisor at 645 Ventures
Chonlathit Jittachalothorn
Controller at 645 Ventures
Christina Siadat
Executive Assistant, Office Manager at 645 Ventures
Eric Parshall
Senior Software Engineer II at 645 Ventures
Jay Reno
Founder/CEO at Feather
Jon Smith
Principal at 645 Ventures
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Philip Meng?
- Philip Meng studied electrical engineering and computer science at Stanford and conducted published research. He previously worked at Animoca Brands and 645 Ventures, and earlier at Tim Hortons, before founding Shepherd.
- Where does Philip Meng work?
- Philip Meng is Founder, CEO of Shepherd and Venture Partner at 645 Ventures.
- What companies did Philip Meng found?
- Philip Meng founded Shepherd.
- Where did Philip Meng go to school?
- Philip Meng studied at Stanford University (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science + Physics); Y Combinator (S26 Batch); Phillips Academy (Student Body Co-President, Cum Laude Society).
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
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
Phillips Academy mafia36
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Miles LasaterFounded Purpose Built Ventures Studio +2Owen TrippFounded Grand Rounds +2Krishna K. GuptaFounded Humanyze +1Vivek GaripalliFounded CarePoint +1Ted MannFounded Partium +1Declan CummingsFounded Cinder +1
+ 29 more
Starbucks mafia22
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Kelly SmithVice President, Global Digital ProductsFounded Pitform +3Mike McNeilBaristaFounded Fleet Device Management Inc. +2Adam BrotmanEVP, Global Retail OperationsFounded Forum3 +2Colette CourtionDirector of Starbucks Card and Customer LoyaltyFounded Joyluxinc +2Mesh GelmanStrategy ConsultantFounded Cumulus Coffee +1Marieke van IperenSenior Manager - Talent & Reward EMEAFounded Getsettly
+ 15 more
Animoca Brands mafia6
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Robby YungCEO of InvestmentsFounded The Sandbox +1Raymond YipProduct Design LeadFounded Shopline +1Yat SiuCo-Founder, Executive Chairman, and Managing DirectorFounded Animoca BrandsEd FriesAdvisorFounded 1Up VenturesSebastien BorgetPixowl was acquired by Animoca Brands in August 2018Founded The Sandbox
Same school
Also attended Stanford University2,000
Peter ThielCo-founder & Partner at Founders FundReid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockDavid SacksCo-founder & General Partner at Craft Ventures; former White House AI & Crypto CzarKeith RaboisManaging Director at Khosla VenturesGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia Capital
+ 1,994 more
Also attended Y Combinator2,000
Ryan SheaCo-founder of Blockstack (Stacks)Suhail DoshiFounder of Mixpanel; founder of ParticleArhaan A.Deeptech Fellow at Clear VenturesAkshat GoenkaInvestor at Moonfire VenturesJon XuGeneral Partner at Y CombinatorChris GoldaGeneral Partner at Y Combinator
+ 1,994 more
Also attended Phillips Academy134
Sarah GuoFounder & General Partner of ConvictionTobi CokerDeal Partner at Felicis VenturesClay FisherInvestor at Spark CapitalConor DeveneyPrincipal at GreycroftLauren LeeInvestor at FJ LabsParag KhandelwalInvestor at Spectrum Equity
+ 128 more
Also attended Eaglebrook School10
Tiger LeeSenior Private Equity Paralegal at Declaration PartnersMichael T. BerolzheimerFounder and Managing Partner at Bee PartnersRafa de HaroGeneral Partner at CometaEllison TaylorInvestor at Camber CreekJordan HaneyAssociate at Long WharfRand SingletonDirector at Eden Road Capital
+ 4 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Shepherd (YC S26)2
Also worked at 645 Ventures24
Jason JudgeInvestor at Relevance VenturesKate BurkhardtSenior Principal at Autotech VenturesAlessio FanelliPartner and CTO at Decibel; co-host of the Latent Space podcastAaron HolidayCo-Founder, Managing Partner at 645 VenturesNnamdi OkikeCo-Founder, Managing Partner at 645 VenturesParul SinghEarly stage startup investor and partner at Initialized Capital
+ 18 more
Also worked at Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies2
Also worked at Dartmouth College60
Ryan HaysBoard Member at CincyTechErica SunFinance/Legal/IR at 8VCJeff RichardsInvestor at GGV CapitalErica Ruliffson SchultzPresident, Field Operations (former), Confluent at Operator CollectiveBen HemaniFounding Partner at Bison VenturesMegan GormanAssociate, Investment Team at Runway Growth Capital
+ 54 more