Y Combinator runs arguably the best-known startup accelerator program in the world. Now it's launching an event to tap into the pre-startup talent pool.
Called YC 120, the new conference will gather 100 young attendees with 20 more established business and tech leaders for a weekend in late April in Colorado.
According to president Sam Altman, Y Combinator is good at surfacing collaborators and leading thinkers for its portfolio founders who can "find their tribe" in its network of founder alumni, mentors, investors and advisers. Now YC hopes to provide a version of that community for people it identifies as possible future startup or technology creators. By doing so, YC hope to encourage people who may otherwise feel pressured to join large companies or work on more conventional ideas to pursue their own. Being a founder can be lonely, says Altman, and daunting to people without existing networks of support.