Janete Perez

Let me drop some knowledge about Janete Perez, this is the kind of founder who just *crushed* it from the jump. She’s part of YC W14, which means she’s been in the startup game for a minute, grinding since way back. But what really makes her stand out? It’s her process from big tech to building something that actually *matters*.

So, she’s the co-founder of Present, a platform all about creating real support networks for women, not just another app, but a space for authentic conversations and meaningful connections. That’s her baby now, and she’s the one steering the ship, leading strategy and managing a team of engineers and marketers. She’s not just throwing shit at the wall, she’s building something with heart, with purpose.

But before she jumped into her own startup, Janete was deep in the trenches at some of the biggest tech giants out there, Facebook, Zynga, Microsoft, Adobe, Style Lend, you name it. At Facebook, she was on the Messenger growth team, crushing it at growing one of the most used apps in the world. Then she went to Zynga as a Senior Product Manager, working on analytics, machine learning, and mobile, basically the stuff that makes apps smarter and more addictive. And at Microsoft, she was involved with Visual Studio for Microsoft Expression. Basically, she’s been around the block, and she’s seen what scale looks like.

What’s crazy is how her past screams passion for empowerment, community, and growth, especially for women. She’s all about using tech to lift people up, to build communities where women can thrive professionally and personally. She’s a first-gen college grad from Brown, which tells me she’s no stranger to hustle and breaking barriers. She’s been through the grind, and now she’s using all that experience to create spaces that inspire real change.

Her story? It’s about more than just tech. It’s about purpose. About taking everything she’s learned from giants like Facebook and Zynga and turning it into something that’s genuinely effective. She’s not in this just for the VC dollars or the fame, she’s in it to enable women, to promote community, and to support people who want to grow. That’s what makes her a real deal founder, someone who’s been in the trenches, seen the bullshit, and decided to build something meaningful instead.

In short, Janete Perez is the kind of founder who proves that tech can be used for good, that community matters, and that with enough hustle, you can turn your vision into reality. No cap, she’s an inspiration for anyone who believes in meaningful impact over just chasing the next big exit.