By Sarabeth Jaffe ’15
From a young age, I was always drawn to technology. After learning how to code in middle school, I pursued a degree in computer science, helped start the Association for Women in Computing Chapter (ACM-W) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and graduated with a full-time job offer from Microsoft.
However, a large company proved to not be the right fit for me. Trading the open-concept office space and free drinks for a high-security prison, I pivoted into the nonprofit space where I taught web development courses to incarcerated individuals to provide them with job skills upon their release. Many of my students have gone on to pursue further education, full-time jobs, and internships in the software industry.
Next, I joined one of Seattle’s hottest startups, where I built software used to interview candidates for Pinterest, Intuit, Palantir, and other high-growth companies. But in November 2020, I quit that job. With the pandemic in full force, I was burnt out, and I struggled to find motivation to complete everyday tasks. I needed unstructured time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and find my passion again.
While my career path may seem disjointed, I believe that every experience has led me to where I am today: an entrepreneur.
You may have heard about how COVID-19 has affected weddings — many of them were postponed, canceled, or scaled down. A lesser known trend among romantic couples is that more and more of them are opting for prenuptial agreements. In fact, there has been a 500% increase in requests for “prenups” in the last 20 years!
When I got engaged in early 2021, I realized the next chapter in my journey: to build a platform for the millions of couples that get married each year who decide to formalize their financial partnership in the form of a prenup.
After partnering with Boston-based divorce attorney and CEO of HelloPrenup Julia Rodgers, Esq., I soon found myself in Los Angeles pitching to the world-renowned entrepreneurs of ABC’s Shark Tank. The process of appearing on the show was a marathon that lasted close to eight months. It was exhilarating and it was exhausting, but I would do it over again in a heartbeat.
The national television appearance with over 5 million viewers has completely changed the trajectory of our business. After being offered a joint investment with “Sharks” Kevin O’Leary and Nirav Tolia, we now plan to expand our prenup service across the United States to help thousands of couples with their marital journeys.
I am incredibly thankful to everyone who has been a part of my growth so far, including the Rensselaer Department of Computer Science, ACM-W at RPI, and the Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship.
Pictured Above: Julia Rodgers (left) and Sarabeth Jaffe (right).
