Carolynn Levy

Carolynn Levy is Managing Director of Legal and Partner at Y Combinator, the world's most successful startup accelerator. She revolutionized early-stage venture capital by creating the SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) in 2013, a five-page document that replaced complex convertible notes and now powers roughly 90% of pre-seed deals. Before joining YC in 2012, she spent over a decade at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati representing Silicon Valley startups and investors. Working alongside her husband Jon Levy, YC co-founder Jessica Livingston, and CFO Kirsty Nathoo, she has guided thousands of founders through legal fundamentals and helped shape the modern startup funding landscape.