Jessica Livingston
AcceleratorCo-founder & Partner, Y Combinator
YC co-founder known as the social radar
Background
Jessica Livingston graduated from Bucknell University with a BA in English and worked in marketing at Adams Harkness Financial Group before co-founding Y Combinator in 2005 alongside Paul Graham, Trevor Blackwell, and Robert Morris. She was a key decision-maker in YC's early years, widely nicknamed the "social radar" for her ability to assess founder quality and integrity. She authored Founders at Work (2007), a book of interviews with early startup founders that became essential reading in the startup ecosystem. She organizes Startup School, YC's annual conference for early-stage founders, and co-hosts The Social Radars podcast with Carolynn Levy. She delivered the commencement address at Bucknell University in May 2025.
Investment Thesis
Backs exceptional founding teams with strong integrity and execution ability at pre-seed and seed stage across all categories; emphasizes founder character and domain insight over sector thesis.
Investment Focus
Stages
Sectors
Based in: San Francisco, CA (North America)