Judd Schoenholtz

This legend right here is Judd Schoenholtz, the real deal in the startup game. This guy’s been crushing it for a minute now. He’s a YC alum from W15, so he’s got that stamp of approval from the top. Started out as a software engineer at Proto Software, so he’s got legit coding chops, then jumped into the world of user experience at Huge, big agency, big brands, leading product design. The dude knows both the tech and the design side of shit, which is rare.

Then he got into the startup scene in a big way. Co-founded Open Listings, a platform aimed at making homebuying cheaper and way more straightforward. Think of it like the Instagram of real estate, super simple, super visual, no bullshit. Open Listings was part of YC’s Winter 2015 batch, so he was in the right place at the right time, but what’s crazy is he actually built this thing from scratch and took it all the way to acquisition by Opendoor in 2018. That’s no small feat, it shows he’s got the hustle and the vision to actually build something people want.

After the acquisition, Judd didn’t just cash out. Nah, he stayed on at Opendoor as Head of Buyer, helping to scale and shape the company’s approach to real estate. Dude’s all about building the real estate tech system, now he’s running Balance Homes, another startup in the same space. It’s like he’s on a mission to totally reinvent how we buy and sell homes, no cap.

But he’s not just about his own startups. Judd’s also a seasoned angel investor, over 150 startups invested in, so he’s got his finger on the pulse of the whole startup scene. Plus, he’s held roles like CRO at EasyKnock and even co-founded a company called Deferred. Basically, he’s been everywhere, doing everything, and always pushing forward.

What’s crazy about Judd is his motivation. He’s not just in it for the fame or the money. You get the feeling he genuinely wants to make things better, whether that’s affordable housing or smarter tech. His process from a Columbia CS grad to a startup founder and angel investor shows he’s all about creating value, building communities, and pushing boundaries.

So, bottom line? Judd Schoenholtz is a tech entrepreneur who’s been through the trenches, coding, designing, founding, investing, and he’s still going strong. He’s the guy who’s not afraid to jump into tough problems, figure out the solution, and then scale it. The real deal in real estate tech and beyond.