Michael Seibel (born October 7, 1982) is a partner atY Combinator and the co-founder of two startups,Justin.tv/Twitch andSocialcam.[1][2] He first joined Y Combinator in 2013, advising hundreds of startups, and has been active in promoting diversity efforts among startup founders.[3][4] Seibel is widely recognized as one of the most influential Black investors and startup mentors inSilicon Valley, noted for his advocacy of underrepresented founders and leadership in expanding access to the startup ecosystem.[5]
Seibel was born inBrooklyn and callsNew York City his favorite city.[6] He moved toEast Brunswick, New Jersey as a pre-teen and graduated fromEast Brunswick High School in 2000.[7] AtYale University, he majored in political science and became friends withJustin Kan. Seibel was active in Yale’s Black Student Alliance, and has spoken about being one of few Black students pursuing tech entrepreneurship at the university. After his graduation in 2005, he worked as the finance director forKweisi Mfume's unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate in 2006. He then moved to Silicon Valley to co-foundJustin.tv, and became CEO at the company (from 2007 to 2011). He then became CEO ofSocialcam,[8] a social video-sharing app that launched in March 2011 and sold toAutodesk for $60 million in 2012 (after 18 months). Socialcam rapidly became one of the top apps in the iOS App Store and was widely referred to as "Instagram for video" in the tech press at the time.[9] In 2014 Justin.tv was renamedTwitch Interactive[10] and later that year sold to Amazon for $970 million.[11]
Startup mentoring, Y Combinator, investments, and board seats
In 2008, Michael Seibel was a key mentor to the co-founders ofAirbnb and recommended them to Y Combinator.[12][13]
In 2013, he became a part-time partner atY Combinator and, in October 2014, became the organization’s first African-American partner.[14][15] He became CEO of the Y Combinator Startup Accelerator in 2016.[16] On March 15, 2024, Seibel announced in apost on X that he was stepping down from his leadership role at Y Combinator after eight years and would return to his original role as partner.[17][18]
During his tenure, Seibel played a significant role in expanding Y Combinator's reach, launching global programs and online initiatives such as Startup School, which opened YC mentorship and resources to founders worldwide.[19] He has been widely credited with increasing the number of Black and underrepresented founders in YC's accelerator, making diversity and access a central priority of the organization during his leadership.[20]
He is also a frequent speaker at major startup and technology conferences, includingTechCrunch Disrupt,AfroTech, and Startup Grind, where he advocates for diversity, access to capital, and mentorship in tech entrepreneurship.[1]
On June 10, 2020, it was announced that Seibel had been named to theReddit board of directors[25], replacingAlexis Ohanian. Ohanian had announced his resignation on June 5, 2020 in response to themurder of George Floyd and urged Reddit's board of directors to fill his vacant seat with a black candidate.[26][27] Reddit later named Seibel as the "first black board member in the company's history".[28]
On December 15, 2020, it was announced that Seibel was named to theDropbox board of directors.[29]
^Michael Seibel Biography, All American Speakers. Accessed February 2, 2022. "Michael Seibel was born in Brooklyn, NY, and lived there for his first nine years. His family then moved to East Brunswick, NJ, where he graduated from East Brunswick High School in 2000."
^Alexis Ohanian (2020-06-05)."Alexis Ohanian Sr. on Instagram".Instagram. Archived fromthe original on 2021-12-24. RetrievedJune 10, 2020.I have resigned as a member of the reddit board, I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate.
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