Alex Kolchinski

Big ups to Alex Kolchinski, this guy’s the real deal in AI and startups. So, he jumped into the scene straight from Stanford’s AI Lab, where he was crushing it with three first-author papers, but he bailed out of his PhD to chase the startup dream. That already shows he’s not afraid to ditch the safe route if he sees something legit.

Before all that, he was at Google as an Associate Product Manager, so he’s been in the game at big tech, grinding behind the scenes. But what really makes him stand out is his hustle with Mezli, a YC W21 startup that he co-founded and led from zero to launching the world’s first fully-autonomous restaurant. Yeah, you heard that right, a robot-powered restaurant that makes food without human cooks. He raised $4 million, managed a team of 20+, and sold 10,000 meals at 50% gross margins. That’s some advanced stuff. Totally original, new, and just straight-up bold.

But here’s the kicker, even with all that success, Mezli shut down in 2023 because of funding issues. That’s the startup life, you crush it, and sometimes the money just doesn’t come through. But Alex’s story isn’t just about building cool tech; it’s about pushing boundaries, taking huge risks, and never stopping. You can tell he’s motivated by a genuine passion for AI and making stuff that actually changes how we live and eat.

Now, he’s the CEO at Autophonix, working on voice AI products like ThunderPhone and TalkToSales. Basically, he’s jumping into the next wave of AI, making enterprise voice tech smarter and more useful. Plus, he’s built apps like ReadToMe for iOS, and he’s got experience with insurance automation, so he’s not just all talk, he’s out here creating real products and running sales and fundraising on the side, pitching to hundreds of investors. That’s hustle.

Beyond work, he’s into climbing, skiing, tennis, sailing, basically, he’s got that adventurous spirit. Loves reading, playing music, all the stuff that keeps him sharp and inspired.

Bottom line? Alex is this crazy-smart, super-driven AI geek who’s not afraid to jump into the deep end. His process from Stanford to Google, then scaling Mezli, and now building AI tools, shows he’s all about pushing tech forward and taking big swings. He’s not just in it for the grind, he’s out here trying to change the damn world, one bold idea at a time. No cap.