On Oct. 14, 2025, Y Combinator named nine founders as Visiting Partners: Matt Riley, Harshita Arora, Grey Baker, Christopher Golda, Raphael Schaad, Christina Gilbert, Francois Chaubard, Vivian Shen and James Evans. The new cohort joins YC’s network of part‑time advisors who engage with the accelerator’s startups.
- Nine founders appointed Visiting Partners at Y Combinator
- Named individuals: Matt Riley; Harshita Arora; Grey Baker; Christopher Golda; Raphael Schaad; Christina Gilbert; Francois Chaubard; Vivian Shen; James Evans
- Announcement published Oct 14, 2025 on the YC blog
What happened
Y Combinator published an announcement that nine founders have joined its Visiting Partner program. The new Visiting Partners are Matt Riley, Harshita Arora, Grey Baker, Christopher Golda, Raphael Schaad, Christina Gilbert, Francois Chaubard, Vivian Shen and James Evans.
Why it matters
Visiting Partners supplement YC’s core team by providing additional mentorship, industry perspective and hands‑on support to participating startups. Adding a group of experienced founders increases the variety of backgrounds and operational experience available to founders in YC batches, potentially improving founder access to practical advice and networks.
What to watch next
Watch for how these Visiting Partners are deployed across upcoming YC batches and which sectors or portfolio companies they engage with most. YC’s subsequent blog posts and batch updates should reveal their specific areas of focus and any programs or office hours they run.