Thomas Lee Young’s Post

I finally got my O1 visa! One year ago, I was working a corporate job in the West Midlands in the UK. Today, I'm running Interface in San Francisco, backed by some of the valley's leading investors. If you'd told me this 12 months ago, I wouldn't have believed it. I knew as a kid I wanted to build a startup in Silicon Valley. But coming from Trinidad & Tobago, it felt like a distant dream. I didn’t know the path, just the goal. Getting my O1 visa means I can finally build this company from the best place in the world, without living out of a suitcase anymore (and bouncing between Airbnbs). I’m grateful to the team at Entrepreneurs First for making the first move possible, and to Plymouth for helping me navigate the visa process. Can’t recommend them enough. The last 6 months in SF have been an incredible experience, with meeting crazy interesting people, and a pace that pushes you to move faster and think bigger. I’m excited for the next chapter: setting up a home and office here, and finally putting the suitcase away for good. If you’re an international founder navigating this now, I know how uncertain it feels. But it’s absolutely worth it. Good luck. (and do you really have an O1 if you don’t post a pic with the GG bridge?)