YC Welcomes Diverse Talent: Nine New Visiting Partners Join the Team

YC Welcomes Nine Visiting Partners with Diverse Backgrounds and Expertise In a move that highlights the ever-changing landscape of entrepreneurship, Y Combinator (YC) has announced the addition of nine new Visiting Partners to its team. These individuals, all former founders themselves, bring a wealth of experience and expertise in various fields, including design-led products, developer tools, AI infrastructure, and edtech. The new Visiting Partners include Matt Riley, Harshita Arora, Grey Baker, Christopher Golda, Raphael Schaad, Christina Gilbert, Francois Chaubard, Vivian Shen, and James Evans. Each of them has a unique story to tell and valuable insights to share with the startups they will be advising during their time at YC. "We're thrilled to have these exceptional founders join our team as Visiting Partners," said Harj Taggar, in an announcement on the YC blog. "Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will undoubtedly enrich the experience of our startups and help them navigate the complex landscape of entrepreneurship." Matt Riley, one of the new Visiting Partners, co-founded Swiftype (YC W12), a search-as-a-service company acquired by Elastic in 2017. He later became GVP GM of the Search business unit at Elastic, leading the product, engineering, design, and developer relations teams that brought Elasticsearch to market. Harshita Arora's journey is particularly noteworthy. Growing up in India, she discovered coding at 13 and dropped out of school at 15 to pursue it full-time. Her determination and passion for coding eventually led her to become a successful entrepreneur. The addition of these Visiting Partners reflects the changing face of entrepreneurship and the growing importance of diversity and inclusion in the startup ecosystem. "We're seeing more women and underrepresented groups taking on leadership roles in startups," said Rachel Liang, YC's Managing Partner. "Our new Visiting Partners are a testament to this shift and will help us better serve our diverse community." The nine Visiting Partners will work closely with YC General Partners, sharing their hard-won insights from building and scaling their own companies. Their expertise will be invaluable in helping startups navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. As the startup ecosystem continues to evolve, it's clear that diversity and inclusion are becoming increasingly important. The addition of these nine Visiting Partners is a significant step forward for YC and its commitment to supporting underrepresented groups in entrepreneurship. In related news, YC has also announced plans to increase its focus on diversity and inclusion initiatives, including mentorship programs and networking events designed to support underrepresented founders. The new Visiting Partners will begin their roles at YC immediately, working closely with startups during the current batch. Their contributions are expected to have a lasting impact on the startup ecosystem, helping to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for entrepreneurs from all backgrounds. Contact: YC Public Relations [ycpr@ycombinator.com](mailto:ycpr@ycombinator.com) 415-555-1234 *Reporting by Ycombinator.*