Jen McCabe

Can’t sleep on Jen McCabe, this girl’s the real deal in the startup world, especially if you’re into hardware and early-stage stuff. She’s a YC alum from back in S10, so she’s been in the game for a minute and knows her shit.

Her story kicks off with Romotive, yeah, the robot-phone company that later became Zipline. She was the first employee there, which is basically like being on the ground floor of something huge. That experience? It’s no joke. It shows she jumped into the deep end early on and crushed it. She’s got mad experience with startups, hardware, and making things happen from the ground up.

But she didn’t stop there. She co-founded Contagion Health, building imoveyou.com, which was all about motivating people to get active. So she’s not just about tech for tech’s sake, it’s about real impact, health, and pushing people to be better. That’s her vibe.

Then she jumped into investing, big time. She led hardware investments for Tony Hsieh (yep, the Zappos guy), and got some insane returns, like 82x on her first deal. That’s not just luck, that’s her knowing what’s *really* worth betting on. She also played a big role in Vegas’ Downtown Project and DTP Ventures, which was all about revitalizing cities with startups and innovation. So she’s got this mix of startup hustle and city-level impact, all driven by a passion to build cool, new things.

She’s also been involved with giants like Foxconn, Flextronics, and Factorli, big manufacturing and hardware players. Basically, she’s got her hands in the nuts and bolts of making physical products, not just software. That kind of experience gives her a unique edge, she understands what it takes to go from idea to mass production.

Today, she’s based in Idaho, and she’s still mentoring founders, supporting the system, and staying connected with things like the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. It’s like she’s always looking for ways to give back and build communities, whether through startups or local initiatives.

What’s crazy is her whole process screams one thing, she’s motivated by pushing boundaries, creating stuff that matters, and not being afraid to jump into the unknown. She’s the kind of person who sees an opportunity, takes the risk, and then makes it work. That’s what startup life is all about, taking big swings and turning ideas into real-world impact.

So yeah, Jen McCabe isn’t just some tech person. She’s a connector of worlds, hardware, health, city-building, investing, she’s done it all, crushed it all, and keeps pushing forward. No cap, she’s one of those people who reminds you that if you’re willing to jump in, learn fast, and hustle, you can really change the game.