David Kang

Straight up, let me put you on to David Kang. This guy’s a straight-up legend in the startup world, especially when it comes to fintech and helping gig workers. So, he’s a YC W19 alum, which is already a big deal, means he crushed the startup game early on.

Before jumping into the startup scene, David was deep in the finance trenches, working as an equity options trader for about five years. He’s got that quantitative, numbers-driven brain from his time at big Chicago firms like PEAK6 Investments and DRW Trading Group. Basically, he’s been in the trenches of high-stakes trading, crunching numbers, making quick calls, the real deal.

But here’s the kicker, instead of just staying in trading, he jumped into building something that actually helps people. He co-founded Keeper in 2019, and this isn’t your average app. It’s AI-powered tax software made specifically for gig workers and freelancers, people who often get screwed over come tax season. Keeper’s goal? Simplify that mess, help folks file their taxes easily, and avoid all that bullshit that makes tax season a nightmare. No Cap, that’s a big change.

What I love about David’s story is how he took all his finance skills, that knack for numbers, risk, and quick thinking, and turned it into a tool that’s actually making a difference. It’s like he saw a real problem in the world and decided to use his skills to fix it. That’s what startup founders do, they spot a problem, then go all-in to solve it, no matter how complex or messy.

And he did that with Keeper, raising some solid dough (like $1.6 million) to get it off the ground. All while being based in SF, which is basically the startup capital of the world. Dude’s been through YC, so he’s got that seal of approval that says he’s legit, and he’s just getting started.

Bottom line? David Kang is that rare combo of finance genius and tech innovator. He saw a pain, jumped into it, and built something that’s actually useful. That’s the kind of founder you wanna watch, smart, driven, making impact, no BS.