Chase Adam

Yo, have you heard of Chase Adam? This dude’s the real deal. He’s a YC W13 guy, but honestly, his story’s way more than just that. Started off doing his thing in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, dude wasn’t just chillin’, he was building a network of community banks down there. That’s where he got hooked on how to make real impact, not just talk about it.

Before all that, he was deep in the world of global socioeconomics and politics at UCSB. Like, he’s always been about understanding how stuff works on a bigger scale. After college, he jumped into private sector intelligence in Washington DC, basically digging into how things tick behind the scenes. Then he took a big leap and started a health program in Haiti, which shows he’s not afraid to jump into messy situations and try to fix them.

But here’s where it gets interesting, he worked with Sèvis Finansye Fonkoze in Haiti, doing microfinance stuff. Basically, he’s been all about empowering underserved communities and figuring out how money can be a force for good. He also worked at Pacific Community Ventures as a loan officer, so he’s got legit experience in finance and micro-lending. Plus, he did some private sector intelligence work at Diligence, so he’s sharp as hell on the analysis side.

Then, in 2012, he co-founded Watsi, a nonprofit healthcare crowdfunding platform. That’s a biggie because Watsi was the first nonprofit ever funded by Y Combinator, which is saying something. The whole thing was inspired by his Peace Corps days, seeing how access to healthcare can change lives. The platform makes it super easy for anyone to fund life-saving treatments for folks who can’t afford it. It’s not just tech for tech’s sake, it’s legit impact, and Chase was all about making that happen.

Now, he’s still heavily involved, he’s on the board at Watsi and Leaders in Tech, plus he’s a cofounder and general partner at Grove, a fellowship for startup founders. Basically, he’s passing the torch and building the next generation of entrepreneurs. He also invests with Very Serious Ventures and co-founded Meso, which is all about open-source software for national health systems. So he’s still pushing the boundaries in health tech and social impact.

What’s his vibe? The dude’s driven by a genuine desire to solve real-world problems, especially in underserved places. His process from Costa Rica, Haiti, and DC to founding one of YC’s first nonprofits shows he’s all about taking action where it counts. He’s not just about startups or funding, he’s about making a difference, using tech and finance as tools to enable people.

Bottom line? Chase Adam’s the kind of guy who saw a problem, jumped into the fire, and kept pushing to fix it, no matter how messy it got. That’s why he’s so important. Not just a founder, but a legit changemaker who’s been at the intersection of social impact, tech, and finance his whole life. No Cap.