Alyssa Atkins

You absolutely need to hear about Alyssa Atkins. This girl is the real deal in the startup world. She’s a YC W20 alum, so she crushed it getting into one of the most competitive programs out there, especially as a solo founder, which is no joke. Less than 1% get in, and she did it all on her own. That already says a lot about her hustle and grit.

She’s got a crazy background, worked at CareGuide, Top Hat, did some stuff with The Next 36 in Canada, and even College Pro. But what really put her on the map is Lilia, her fertility startup backed by YC. She started Lilia to make egg freezing way more affordable and accessible for women, a mission that hits close to home for a lot of people. And get this, she took it from zero to about $850K in revenue without any paid ads, just referrals. That’s pure product-market fit and customer love right there. She knew her users, went all-in on making sure they felt supported, and it paid off.

Lilia also scored big partnerships with top fertility clinics like NYU, Columbia, and Kindbody. That’s some serious validation. But what’s wild is she didn’t stop there. Before Lilia, she was the first growth hire and later VP of Marketing at CareGuide, where she helped crank their revenue from $480K to $7.2M a year. So she’s got the Midas touch when it comes to scaling.

Her story isn’t just about numbers, though. Alyssa’s super customer-focused. She’s the type to go above and beyond for her users, and her approach to customer discovery was heavily influenced by her YC experience, disciplined, sharp, always looking for the real pain points. She’s also a legit international success, she moved to the US on an EB1 green card, recognized as an ‘Alien of Unusual Ability.’ That’s some serious recognition.

Major outlets like Forbes, Elle, Vogue, and The Globe and Mail have featured her, which just proves she’s not just another startup founder, she’s a thought leader. But here’s the kicker, after all that success, she decided to step back from Lilia. Why? Because scaling to the venture level meant building clinics, and that’s a whole new game. Plus, an acquisition deal fell through because of visa issues, which sucks but also shows she’s not afraid of tough shit.

So, what does her process tell you? Alyssa’s all about pushing boundaries, doing meaningful work, and really understanding her users. She’s driven by a desire to solve real problems, not just chase the hype. Starting Lilia wasn’t just about building a company, it was about making a dent in something that matters, and she crushed it doing that. She’s a prime example of how grit, smarts, and heart can change industries. That’s why she’s important, she’s the kind of founder who proves you don’t need to play by all the rules to make a real impact.