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Alec Katz

Alec Katz

Co-founder Curious Cardinals, Forbes 30 Under 30, education innovator

San Francisco, CA
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Joined August 2025
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5.8K connections
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Summary

Alec Katz is a dedicated entrepreneur and education innovator, recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, who co-founded Curious Cardinals to transform K-12 learning. He took a leave of absence from Stanford to pursue this venture, driven by the belief that school often fails to engage students' true passions. His goal is to make Curious Cardinals a global platform where students discover and pursue their interests through mentorship. curiouscardinals+2
Alec demonstrates a strong commitment to social impact, rooted in his high school experience co-founding Soles4Good. Inspired by Muhammad Yunus's microfinance work and an internship at Grameen Bank, Soles4Good empowered street youth in Senegal by providing shoes for entrepreneurial ventures, showcasing his early passion for addressing societal challenges through innovative solutions. curiouscardinals+2
With an academic background in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford University, Alec applies a disciplined, problem-solving engineering mindset to his business endeavors. He credits a flight instructor for sparking his interest in aviation and engineering, and this analytical approach is a core part of how he tackles challenges at Curious Cardinals. curiouscardinals+1
Alec is a proponent of fostering a transparent and growth-oriented team culture, as evidenced by his 'User Manual' which outlines his working preferences and values. He champions continuous learning, open feedback, and an 'ownership mindset' among his team, aiming to build a highly motivated and effective workforce at Curious Cardinals. x+1
Despite his strong STEM background, Alec recognizes and advocates for the critical importance of writing skills. He publicly shared his personal reflection on wishing he had invested more time in writing during high school, highlighting it as a fundamental skill for successful entrepreneurs, leaders, and even engineers. curiouscardinals+1

Work

Education

Writing

Alec's User Manual

July 1, 2024

A personal user manual outlining Alec Katz's working style, values, motivations, and preferences for communication and feedback, which he shares with candidates before interviews to foster authenticity.

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Why I Wish I Had Worked on My Writing in High School

August 25, 2022

A blog post by Alec Katz, an aerospace engineering student and co-founder of Curious Cardinals, emphasizing the critical importance of writing skills for entrepreneurs, leaders, and engineers, a realization he made despite his STEM background.

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