In San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood, eight young women share a two‑story stucco home where they are building startups and planning how to present them to investors. The residents call it FoundHer House, an all-female hacker house focused on creating a supportive environment as they work on artificial intelligence projects and early-stage companies. According to The New York Times, the group is organizing a “demo day” to showcase what they have built.
A shared space for building and feedback
On a recent Thursday afternoon, several housemates gathered around the dining table, trading notes between emails and LinkedIn messages while discussing how to run the upcoming demo day. Miki Safronov‑Yamamoto, 18, the youngest member and a rising sophomore at the University of Southern California, suggested they “should low‑key talk” more about presentation length, floating a three‑minute format. The conversation centered on practical details: pacing, who the audience would be, and how to keep investors’ attention.
Ava Poole, 20, who is working on an artificial intelligence agent to make digital payments easier, asked whether the audience would be mostly investors. Her question underscored the group’s focus on tailoring demos for the people they hope to persuade. The scene illustrated the collaborative rhythm of the house: quick iterations, candid feedback, and shared logistics handled around a communal table.
Eight founders under one roof
The residents and their goals
The Times identified the members as Ava Poole, 20; Anantika Mannby, 21; Danica Sun, 19; Miki Safronov‑Yamamoto, 18; Sonya Jin, 20; Fatimah Hussain, 19; Chloe Hughes, 21; and Naciima Mohamed, 20. The house, which has four bedrooms, brings together founders at similar stages who are determined to make space for women in the fast‑moving AI scene. Their day‑to‑day work spans outreach to potential backers, refining product ideas, and figuring out how to present their startups succinctly.
The New York Times reported that the house is a rare all‑female hacker community in a city where startup living arrangements often skew male. Within FoundHer House, the members emphasize structure and mutual support as they prepare to show investors what they have built. The demo day planning has become a focal point for aligning their pitches, compressing their stories into minutes, and helping one another get ready to step in front of the room.
