# Kathy Zhou-Patel

> Eng @ Figma: ex-YC Founder, ex-Pinterest Eng

Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/kathyzhoupatel

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## Work Experience
### Software Engineer @ Figma
Jan 2025 – Present

### CTO and Co-Founder @ Queenly
Jan 2018 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco Bay Area
YC W21: The search engine and marketplace for formal dresses
- Built an iOS, React web, and Android two-sided marketplace from launch to 1 million downloads and 700k users
- Lead a team of 8 engineers across web, iOS, Android, and data engineering as a blended management and tech lead role. Implementing documentation, architectural standards, code review, and performance review processes as well as API design, codebase maintenance, and hands-on architecting and implementing feature development from ideation to launch.
- Technical highlights of what I've built: Reverse image search and NLP tech search driven by ResNet-50 embeddings and vector database, augmented-reality virtual try-on through iOS coreML, user engagement based email and push notification system, Stripe and BNPL payments platform integration, MMP analytics and A/B experiment integration, technical SEO, internal shipping and logistics tools, growth analytics dashboards.

### Software Engineer @ Pinterest
Jan 2015 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco Bay Area
Full-stack Product Engineer: Web, Backend, iOS. Built/building messaging, collaboration tools, and content creation flows.

### Software Development Intern @ InfoScout
Jan 2014 – Jan 2014
(D3.js, Django, and SQL) Developed InfoScout Insights, a new business intelligence tool
for analyzing large retail consumer datasets in interactive visualizations.
examples: co-occurrence matrix, sequences sunburst, motion bubble chart.
 features: login portal, internal library for filtering and input controls.
Built market research projects for Frito-Lay, Unilever, and other consumer goods clients.

### Software Development Intern (part-time) @ SnipSnap
Jan 2014 – Jan 2014
Developed data analytics dashboards (built with Highcharts.js, Ruby Sinatra, and Redis) that comprised of charts to monitor coupon popularity over time, marketing funnels, and mobile app engagement.

### Python Programmer/Data Analyst Work Study @ Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania
Jan 2013 – Jan 2014
Improved quality checks of real-time collection of climate data though
building automated Python scripts. Furthered exploration of better visualizations for climate data through plotting libraries.

### Software Development Intern @ Venmo
Jan 2013 – Jan 2013 | New York, NY
(Backbone.js, jQuery, MongoDB, Node,js, CSS3) Created responsive web app for group
payments that tested and integrated the beta Venmo OAuth API.
    features: form validation, autocomplete selection, asynchronous transactions.
Incorporated flat design elements into web views on Android and iOS.

### Summer Research Fellow @ Department of Earth and Environmental Science
Jan 2012 – Jan 2013 | University of Pennsylvania
Researched effectiveness of a new soil fractionation method, POXC, with samples from the LCZO tropical observatory site, through chemical experiments and statistical analysis software. Presented findings in a research poster in the Fall 2012 CURF (Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships) Open House;


## Education
### Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Computer Science, Environmental Science
University of Pennsylvania


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/zhoukathy
- Portfolio: http://kathyzhou.com

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Source: https://flows.cv/kathyzhoupatel
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/kathyzhoupatel/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-11