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Upeka Bee

Upeka Bee

Founder and CEO, ex-Gusto, Salesforce, CMU, and Y Combinator W24

San Francisco, California, United States
ycombinator+1
Joined October 2025
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Summary

Upeka Bee is a seasoned engineering leader and entrepreneur with a strong background in developing HR platforms and scalable software solutions. She founded DianaHR (YC W24) to offer AI-powered HR-as-a-Service, driven by her experiences at Gusto and Salesforce, where she focused on creating inclusive workplaces and empowering small businesses. getdianahr+2
Her career at Gusto spanned over five years, progressing from Principal Software Engineer in the Payroll group to Head of Engineering for the People Information Ecosystem (PIE). In this role, she was instrumental in evolving Gusto into a comprehensive HRIS by leading teams focused on features like performance management, applicant tracking, and data insights, always prioritizing customer experience and cross-functional collaboration. gusto
Upeka is a prolific writer on Medium, sharing insights on engineering leadership, professional development, and personal reflections. Her articles cover topics such as empowering Staff+ engineers, projecting competence, diversity in engineering, and navigating software engineering interviews. medium
With academic roots in software engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (MSE) and the University of London (BSc), supplemented by executive education from Harvard Business School Online, Upeka blends deep technical expertise (Java, JavaScript, React.js, Node.js, distributed systems) with strategic leadership capabilities. She advocates for continuous learning and fostering supportive work environments, as evidenced by her past roles and writings. nocap+1

Work

Education

Writing

My 2022 in Review

January 1, 2023

A short and incomplete list of reflections on the past year.

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The Care and Feeding of StaffPlus Engineers

September 9, 2021

Explores best practices for empowering Staff+ software engineers.

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My quest to project Undeniable Competence

December 21, 2020

Reflections on leadership style, inspired by feedback from a colleague.

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Remembering my father

September 25, 2018

A short eulogy for her father.

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Can I have a big impact without becoming an engineering manager?

June 12, 2018

Discusses whether one can have significant impact in engineering without taking on a management role.

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Continuing Our Commitment to Diversity in Engineering

March 5, 2018

An article introducing 'The Mango Team' and Gusto's commitment to diversity in engineering.

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Don’t put all your eggs in one basket… put some in the fridge

June 22, 2017

A personal story about fertility and egg freezing.

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How to do Software Engineering Interviews: Notes to Interviewers

May 16, 2017

Guidance for software engineering interviewers.

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How to do Software Engineering Interviews: Notes to Interviewees

April 25, 2017

Advice for software engineering interviewees.

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Planning in Dark

An article on iterative product development, published in Increment magazine.

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Hobbies

Enjoys thrift shopping. gusto

Loves Halloween and goes all out with creative costume combinations. getdianahr