I'm Lyel. I work with exceptional founders and investors to build companies people can trust.

Currently, I am Visiting Faculty at MIT, where I teach impact entrepreneurship and responsible innovation, and also write the newsletter Salt.

Previously, I built and led the Public Interest Technology Studio at Cornell Tech. I co-founded the Startups & Society Initiative, backed by Ford, Omidyar, and Siegel Family Endowment, and the AI causal data platform Swayable (YC W18), a public benefit corporation that works with clients including the ACLU, Airbnb, and Anthropic. Before that I spent a decade building technology education and economic mobility programs, including as an early executive at Flatiron School.

I've advised a number of mission-led companies including Signal, Pachama (YC W19), and Elucd (YC S17). I'm proud to sit on the board of MEET.org, which brings Israeli and Palestinian teenagers together for technology and leadership education.

I studied Physics and Political Science at MIT where I was a Burchard Humanities Scholar.

Lyel Resner teaching at MIT in front of classroom chalkboards.

MIT · Visiting Faculty, Morningside Academy of Design

Teach impact entrepreneurship and responsible technology development.

TechCrunch launch article about Swayable, with its headline and US flag graphic.

Swayable (YC W18) · Co-founder and founding COO

Co-led early product, sales, operations and fundraising. Reached seven-figure ARR within 12 months.

Aclima public benefit corporation case study, with its headline and founder Davida Herzl.

Startups & Society Initiative · Co-founder

Ford Foundation– and Omidyar-backed work on responsible company building. Published a dozen-plus case studies and the Responsible Innovation Primer for Founders; launched the Responsible Innovation Founders Summit (700+ founders and investors).

Cornell Tech fireside chat with a remote guest and responsible technology presentation on two large screens.

Cornell Tech · Visiting Faculty

Designed and launched the Public Interest Technology Studio. Taught 400+ master's students; hosted 30+ fireside chats with leaders from the White House, Ford Foundation, Omidyar and the GIIN.

MEET · Board member

Board member of MIT-MEET — a highly acclaimed MIT-affiliated NGO that offers intensive programming in computer science and social entrepreneurship to highly select Israeli and Palestinian high school students.

I led development of MEETx — first-of its kind hybrid program that allowed MEET to significantly scale the number of students served while maintaining quality.

I also co-led curriculum redesign in computer science and social entrepreneurship, trained hundreds of MIT students in pedagogy and instruction, and delivered direct service programs for hundreds of students.

Building a Healthy & Sustainable Social Impact Bond Market: The Investor Landscape report cover.

Social Impact Bonds

My first work in an area I'm still obsessed with: innovative financing models for purpose-driven capital. Co-authored Building a Healthy and Sustainable Social Impact Bond Market: The Investor Landscape (Rockefeller Foundation, 2012), an analysis of investor appetite for the first U.S. pay-for-success deals. Cited by Brookings, McKinsey, the National Governors Association, and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Flatiron School team posing together in front of colorful murals.

Flatiron School · Early executive

Built Flatiron Precollege: 60-person team, 13 cities, 10x year-over-year revenue growth. Launched a business line that reached $4M ARR in under 24 months.