Alexandria Lafci

Lowkey, you gotta hear about Alexandria Lafci, this girl’s the real deal in social entrepreneurship. She’s like that friend who jumped into the deep end and just crushed it. So, she’s a YC alum from the S15 batch, yeah, one of those who got in early and really made waves.

Her story? It’s all about turning personal pain into mad purpose. She grew up dealing with housing insecurity herself, which lit a fire under her to fix that mess for others. No cap, that’s what fuels her fire. She’s been all over the place, from teaching with Teach For America in DC, working with big orgs like Obama for America, the State Department, to campaigns like Mayor Menino’s reelection. Basically, she’s been in the trenches, learning how systems work, and what’s broken.

Then, in 2014, she co-founded New Story, a non-profit with a super ambitious goal: build affordable homes for folks who got no shelter. And man, did she crush it. They went through YC, raised over $70 million, built thousands of homes across Latin America, and even did the first-ever 3D-printed community of homes. That’s not some small feat, that’s advanced innovation in the housing game.

But she didn’t stop there. She’s also the founder and Managing Partner of Hometeam Ventures, a fund investing in startups trying to fix housing and construction issues at the root. Raised another $18 million for that. Basically, she’s betting big on future solutions, trying to close the global housing gap.

What’s crazy is her background, she’s got a BA in International Relations from Boston University and a Master’s in Education from George Mason. That combo? It’s like she’s always been about understanding systems and people, then jumping into action.

People recognize her skills, Forbes named her on the 30 Under 30 list for social entrepreneurship. That’s a big shoutout, showing she’s not just talk, she’s out here making real impact.

Bottom line? Alexandria’s not just some startup founder; she’s a changemaker. Her process shows what happens when you turn your own struggles into a movement. She’s out here raising millions, building homes, backing startups, all driven by one thing: making sure everyone has a roof over their head. That’s the kind of passion that doesn’t just inspire, it actually changes lives.