Profile banner
Brandon Yao

Brandon Yao

Co‑founder & COO at Semiotic; Econ & CS, Columbia

San Francisco, California
ycombinator+1
Joined October 2025
Favicon imagesemiotic.so
Favicon imageycombinator.com
Favicon imagebusiness.columbia.edu
Favicon imagelinkedin.com

Network

899 connections
💡
YC Founders
🎨
Creative Directors Partners
🤖
AI ML Founders
📐
Design Agency Leaders
🐜
Red Antler Team
⚛️
Stanford CS Physics
🎓
Columbia Alumni

Summary

Founder and operator building an AI‑native design studio (Semiotic, YC F25). Brandon co‑founded Semiotic to combine applied AI research with high‑taste design and serves as COO, focusing on scaling production workflows and delivering design work (art direction, research, and execution) via AI agents. semiotic+1
Academic research experience at Columbia Business School. During 2024–2025 he worked in research at Columbia Business School (listed in Columbia CUBS student listings) and is described on Semiotic's about page as a research assistant to Aaron Chatterji. columbia+1
Interdisciplinary academic background in economics and computer science. Listed as a Columbia University student (CC '27) with study in Economics and Computer Science — a blend that supports product + research work across AI, design, and strategy. columbia+1
Strong early academic honors and extracurriculars (debate, music). Public local coverage and school publications note National Merit recognition and participation in forensics and school music ensembles during high school. roughdraftatlanta+1

Work

Education

Projects

Hobbies

Competitive policy debate (forensics) and clarinet / participation in school wind ensemble. issuu+1