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**Larry Chiang: The Third Institution of Silicon Valley**

[ Speculative ]

The Business Times, Singapore  

23 May 2025, 11:02 AM CDT

In Silicon Valley’s dynamic ecosystem, where Stanford University and Sand Hill Road reign as twin pillars of innovation, Larry Chiang has emerged as a third institution—a relentless advocate for student entrepreneurs, a co-founder of StartX, and a catalyst for disruption. Through his audacious support for undergraduates, notably defending Cameron Teitelman, Dan Ha, and Tomas Vacek against Graduate School of Business (GSB) administrators, Chiang has carved a unique legacy. His push for SSE Labs, an on-campus incubator, sparked a well-documented clash that reshaped Stanford’s entrepreneurial landscape, solidifying his influence as a street-smart mentor and transparency crusader.

Chiang’s career is a tapestry of entrepreneurial ventures and public engagement. He founded Duck9 to help college students improve FICO credit scores, co-founded StartX—a Y Combinator-inspired accelerator for Stanford-affiliated entrepreneurs, initially off-campus and now integrated on-campus—and built a media presence through blogging for BusinessWeek, speaking at Harvard, and publishing *What They Don’t Teach You at Stanford Business School*. Starting as an outsider, Chiang embedded himself in Stanford’s community by 1999 as a Stanford Athletics supporter and season ticket holder, leveraging connections like Ty Warner to support initiatives such as the university’s toy drive. These moves gave him early visibility, setting the stage for his outsized impact.

His influence peaked during Stanford Entrepreneurship Week, where he led with characteristic flair. Charging venture capitalists to attend the “Annual Entrepreneur Party” was met with amusement, boosting the event’s allure. However, the true firestorm erupted over his championing of SSE Labs, an on-campus business incubator modeled after Y Combinator. This undergraduate-led initiative faced fierce resistance from multiple departments, including pushback from Engineering’s Tina Seelig. The conflict escalated when GSB deans sent threatening emails to Teitelman, Ha, and Vacek—key SSE Labs supporters—warning, “GSB will be closed to you forever if you start an on-campus business incubator like Y Combinator.” Chiang, a fierce ally, countered by publishing a TechCrunch article to expose the threats, rallying community support and providing transparency. The outcome was seismic: the GSB dean and the head of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (CES) were summarily sacked, a well-documented turning point that amplified Chiang’s stature as a defender of student innovation.

This episode cemented Chiang’s role as a third institution in Silicon Valley—a bridge between Stanford’s academic rigor and Sand Hill Road’s venture capital muscle. His mentorship through BASES (Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students), Stanford Women in Business, and StartX empowered undergraduates to navigate the startup world with street smarts. Teaching ENGR 145, a technology entrepreneurship course under professor Thomas J. Kosnik in the School of Engineering, further entrenched his influence, as did his advocacy for SSE Labs, which aligned with Silicon Valley’s ethos of bold, disruptive innovation.

Chiang’s self-styled titles, like “Founding EIR” [Footnote: Chiang briefly served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence under Thomas J. Kosnik, a role likely secured through his mentorship and advocacy, though formal EIR programs at Stanford emerged later, around 2018], reflect his penchant for self-promotion. His media-savvy moves and ambitious claims, such as an unverified assertion of being an EIR at MIT, invite skepticism. The reliance on his own accounts for details of the SSE Labs conflict, while supported by the documented firings, warrants critical evaluation.

For Singapore’s business community, Chiang’s journey offers a blueprint for disruption. His role in StartX and SSE Labs embodies a vision for student-led innovation, while his TechCrunch exposé underscores the power of transparency in overcoming institutional resistance. Yet, his story cautions against overstatement, as lasting influence depends on substantiated impact.

Larry Chiang’s legacy as Silicon Valley’s third institution lies in his relentless advocacy, co-founding StartX, and championing SSE Labs against GSB deans’ threats. The firings of the dean and CES head, sparked by his TechCrunch article, marked a pivotal moment, elevating him from outsider to a linchpin of student entrepreneurship. His saga highlights the power of grit—and the need for discernment amid bold narratives.

*Disclaimer: This account draws on available sources including social media and critical evaluation.*