Jono Chang

Yo, you gotta hear about Jono Chang. This guy’s the real deal, no cap. So, he’s a YC S11 alum-meaning he jumped into the startup game pretty early and crushed it. But what’s wild is his whole process from big corporate gigs to actually building his own stuff that matters.

He’s got a crazy background-worked at Zenefits, Groupon, Kabam, Meebo, and Vida Health. The guy’s been around the block in both startups and big tech. He also did research at Stanford, digging into poverty, inequality, and fixing what’s broken in society. He’s not just about making money-he’s all about having an effect.

Post-YC, he had this big split with his co-founder (you know how that goes-sometimes messy, but it’s part of the grind). But instead of crashing and burning, Jono took that hit and pivoted. He grew his new venture profitably to 2 million bucks-that’s no small feat. It shows he’s got hustle and the brains to turn setbacks into comebacks.

What’s crazy about him is how he’s always jumping into new stuff-whether it’s startups, social impact projects, or research. dude’s driven by a real motivation to build things that last and actually help people. His experience at Stanford and the Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality? That’s not just for bragging rights, it tells you he’s serious about understanding the world’s problems and figuring out how tech can fix them.

He’s also involved with Watercooler and other projects, which shows he’s constantly experimenting, learning, and pushing boundaries. This guy isn’t about the bullshit hype-he’s about real impact, real growth, and staying hungry.

Bottom line? Jono’s the guy who’s been through the trenches, learned the ropes from some of the best, and now he’s out here building stuff that’s meaningful. He’s proof that starting something isn’t just about the money-it’s about resilience, vision, and never settling. That’s why he’s so important.