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Hello. It’s me, your friend Raph.
I'm a startup technology executive, angel investor, and human dad based in the Bay Area.
I'm the host of the Building AI Products podcast.
I'm interested in applications of technology to human flourishing. And in sustainable development. And electric unicycles. And playing the bass guitar. And barbecue. And you.
I am currently a Sloan Fellow (MSx class of 2024) at Stanford's Graduate School of Business.
I co-founded U.S. Digital Response, a 501(c)(3) that works with state and local governments to support the needs of the public. We've delivered work in over 37 U.S. states and territories, impacting over 14 million people.
Previously, I was the VP Engineering at Lob and the 7th engineer and 1st engineering manager at Airbnb.
I proudly serve on the Board of Advisors at Ameelio and am a partner at SV2.
I started a cover band with Topher Lin called We Used to Praise God. For each show, we print out the lyrics to our songs into little hymnals, and people sing along to Since U Been Gone, Mrs. Robinson, The Rainbow Connection, etc., etc.
I have free-dived in Thailand, salsa danced with abuelas in Cuba, eaten squirrel-with-fur-on soup and raw mystery bird with a Khmu family in Laos, visited a rock star backstage in Tokyo, won a couple hundred dollars playing baccarat in Macau, and swum with dusky dolphins in New Zealand.
I won an academic award in high school and flew to the White House to meet the president. But he was summoned elsewhere that day, so I shook claws with Vice President Dick Cheney instead.