Erika Hairston

Erika Hairston is the Co-Founder and CEO of Edlyft, an educational technology startup based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to launching her own venture, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and African American Studies from Yale University, subsequently working as a Product Manager at LinkedIn Learning and a Software Engineering Intern at Facebook. Under her executive leadership, the Y Combinator-backed company raised approximately $2 million in venture funding and surpassed seven figures in annual revenue by securing enterprise contracts to upskill college computer science students. The platform's success in developing AI-powered tutoring technology ultimately led to its strategic acquisition by Onramp, with Google also integrating its proprietary educational tools into their systems. Hairston currently focuses on advancing artificial intelligence product development and making angel investments in select early-stage technology founders.