Upstart Careers - Blog

How Upstart’s Digital-First Approach Brings New Hires Together

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

How Upstart’s Digital-First Approach Brings New Hires Together

In June 2021, Upstart decided to pivot to a digital-first approach, which required us to rethink how we onboard and integrate new Upstarters. Several years in and committed as ever to digital-first, we’ve made the choice to support our new hires with a virtual experience on Day One followed by a unique, in-person orientation experience.

As a digital-first company, the importance of bringing employees together to connect and create community cannot be overstated. One way we’ve reimagined this is through Upstart Orientation. Launched in 2022 and held quarterly at our San Mateo office, this in-person event — which has cohorts of new Upstarterts travel to our San Mateo headquarters to participate in a two day, immersive learning experience — is a pillar of our digital-first strategy and a cornerstone of our onboarding experience, boasting a participant satisfaction rate of 94%.

A Focus on Community Building and Upskilling

While a key goal of Upstart Orientation is to foster community, it is also designed to upskill new hires by equipping them with essential Upstart knowledge and connecting them directly with the key stakeholders that will impact their work. This helps new hires better understand the Upstart ecosystem, fast-tracking alignment of their individual work to Upstart’s business goals.

Since our start in 2022, we've continually enhanced the orientation experience by introducing breakout sessions tailored to our diverse product offerings, from our servicing model to the borrower experience.

The two-day orientation agenda includes:

Deep dives into how Upstart is expanding access to credit.
Inclusive conversation with our executive leadership team.
Comprehensive introductions to our diverse product lines, including personal loans, auto financing, home loans, and small dollar lending.
Personal strategies for thriving in a digital-first workplace.
Insights into our performance-driven and inclusively-minded company culture.
Fun-fueled breaks such as ice cream socials and happy hours.

Engaging New Hires with Core Values and Culture

We recognize that success depends on creating meaningful connections between team members—especially our newest ones. Upstart Orientation serves as an early opportunity for new hires to engage with the core values, interact with our leaders, and understand our products.

Our newest Upstarters share that they value getting to know each other face-to-face rather than over a Zoom call.

Looking Ahead

As we set our sights on 2025 and beyond, facilitating Upstart Orientation as in-person experience goes beyond merely onboarding our newest Upstarters—it ties back to our culture and our commitment to ensuring a great digital-first experience, starting with day one, which is one of many reasons why we believe that Upstart is the best place to do great work!

Celebrating a Decade of Dedication and Believing It Can Be Done

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Upstart is thrilled to celebrate the 10-year anniversaries of three exceptional team members: Grant Schneider, Natalia Mirgorodskaya, and Kate Sutcu. They have been with Upstart through it all with unwavering commitment to our mission while exemplifying an important Upstart value: Don’t assume it can’t be done.

Grant Schneider, VP, Machine Learning

Start date: August 25, 2014

While Grant Schneider’s current role is to find opportunities for AI use cases within the company and help bridge the gap between the Machine Learning team and the rest of the business, his journey with Upstart began when he was procrastinating on the “boring part” of completing his dissertation - writing it.

“I read this article about Upstart using all these creative approaches to underwriting. I thought it sounded really interesting and so I sent a cold email to the team. One thing led to another and I flew out to California, did the interview, and was just blown away by the team, both by the intensity and the quality of thought. There's a real focus on what mattered, none of this pretension that felt like it came with some of the other interviews I was doing.”

Shortly after, Grant made the move from Ohio to California and joined the Machine Learning team. To this day, his first project remains one of his most memorable, not because of how complicated it was, or the vast amount of analysis it required, but because of how quickly he was able to make a difference for our borrowers.

“I sort of expected in my first few weeks here that I would hand in this report and then the more senior data scientist and Paul [Upstart’s cofounder] would redo that work or go and do the real thing after I'd proven it was worth their time to look at.

“But instead, it was like, ‘Oh, okay, cool. Let's schedule a meeting. Talk about it. Make sure things are good.’ And then, ‘Okay, go implement that thing and make it reality.’ A couple of weeks out of grad school I pushed code to production and was lowering interest rates for hundreds of people. [I was] able to lead that project rather than just be the guy who does the initial stuff and then the grown-ups take it over.”
As a principle, we trust the people we hire. We are looking for smart and humble people who are willing to jump in together and stay scrappy. This, Grant says, is part of what has kept him at Upstart for 10 years.

For new hires joining the team now, his advice is to take initiative and live the value of Don’t assume it can’t be done.

“I think the person who does best at Upstart is comfortable moving quickly and being in this state of continual improvement. Perfection rarely exists in the world and so we can strive for consistently getting better, but expecting to ever wrap something up and be done and rest is unrealistic. It means that to consistently improve you've got to be perpetually dissatisfied with the state of things. You also have to manage your perpetual dissatisfaction with an appreciation for how far you’ve come.”

Natalia Mirgorodskaya, Chief Accounting Officer

Start date: September 2, 2014

Natalia Mirgorodskaya’s journey with Upstart began with an at-the-speed-of light hiring process. In a singular week she sent a cold inquiry, visited the office, met the team, and had an offer in hand.

The choice of where to take your career is an important one and can involve a range of factors. In this case, it was Natalia’s belief in the mission and the connection she felt with the Upstarters she met - people who had all joined the team to do their life’s work - that encouraged her to make a decision based on emotion vs. logic.

“I remember thinking: Even if it's not going to pan out, I'm going to go with it. I'm going to take a leap of faith. I think I'm going to have an incredible time working with these people trying to build something.”
She accepted the offer the next Monday, and Upstart gained its first full-time accounting hire.

The speed at which she joined the company was a telltale sign of what was to come.

In her current role, Natalia works closely with a broad group of internal and external partners as well as Upstart's independent auditors and is responsible for supervising accounting functions, managing financial reporting, and overseeing internal audit and procurement functions. While one major milestone of Natalia’s work at Upstart has been completed, the reasons why she stays at Upstart are not far from the reasons why she joined a decade ago, with one new addition: It’s been fun too.

“I love who I work with and not just my team, but whoever I meet and whatever teams I look at there are incredibly talented and dedicated people. So I think it gives me a very deep appreciation for being part of this journey and doing it together.”
For new team members joining Upstart now, Natalia’s advice is to make the most of onsites and digital resources to build relationships with other Upstarters.

“As much as you can, participate in onsites and make the best of the time together. Reach out to people who you would love to spend time together with and put it on calendars. Set aside time for whiteboard exercises on topics that are new or complex. You will be amazed how much you can learn and get done! Use opportunities to get together with people who live nearby, come to TGIFs [our virtual all-hands meetings], join a club if there is a topic that you're interested in, or start your own and see who comes. Knowing who you're working with, and feeling comfortable and feeling part of that group goes a very, very long way.”

Kate Sutcu, Director of Fraud and Financial Crimes Risk

Start date: September 23, 2014

Kate Sutcu first joined Upstart as the second hire on the Operations team before becoming the second hire on the Compliance team. Because of Kate’s previous experience in mortgage servicing, Kate was inspired by Upstart’s mission to expand access to credit and her desire to help others improve their financial stability. In her role on the Operations team as an Operations Associate and first dedicated customer support agent, she was the voice of Upstart as we launched our personal loan product.

Her time on the Operations team, speaking directly to applicants and borrowers, has had a lasting impact on how she approaches her work today.

“I really enjoy talking to customers. And in those early days, I loved answering the phone, asking them how they were doing. You learn a lot about what is motivating them. Why are they interested in Upstart, why do they need this product? Conversely, sometimes Upstarters share an idea and because of my work, I can say ‘Our average customer may struggle with that.’ So I just love that kind of customer service, delighting, helping people, and making an impact in that way.”

In her current role, Kate focuses on managing Upstart’s fraud and financial crimes risk program, developing strategy and program governance for improving our system of controls to detect and prevent fraudulent activity. While it may be unexpected to some, Risk and Compliance is another space where the team keeps Upstart’s value of Don’t assume it can’t be done at the forefront.

“A lot of our success is that we don't just say, ‘Well, it's never been done before,’ or, ‘It's going be so hard to do.’”
For new hires, Kate’s advice is to stay curious and engage with all of the information that is available to understand the big picture of what Upstart is working on to achieve our mission.

“I think having a healthy amount of curiosity and challenging the status quo. It’s pretty rare that we do something and we're perfect. Upstarters continue to push ourselves until we’re better.”

“The other advice I would have is to absorb as much as you can and engage. There's a lot of information and content that's made available. Use that. Read it. Talk about it. Attend TGIF. I think that's really helpful for understanding what's happening at Upstart and then you can start to see the bigger picture and support or suggest ideas, or raise your hand and say, ‘I want to work on that, too.’”

Grant, Natalia, and Kate represent just a few of the talented minds who love working at Upstart. We invite you to learn more about our Values or read more about Our Story if you think Upstart might be a fit for you!

Employee Resource Groups: Looking back at 2024

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 20:46:07 +0000

Employee Resource Groups: Looking back at 2024

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) play an important role at Upstart by not only providing spaces for Upstarters to connect with other members of their communities, but also to learn about different lived experiences. These groups are employee-led and employee-founded with a goal to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace at Upstart. We currently have nine ERGs - our first ERG is Superwomen and our newest ERG is the Veterans Community. We also encourage Upstarters to join ERGs that don’t always align with their experiences so they can learn from those who may hold different perspectives.

In 2024, Heritage and Pride months were some of the most action-packed months for ERGs. They represent a fantastic opportunity for members to share their culture, give tips on how to be an ally, or connect on a shared background or experience. Unidos, Upstart’s ERG for Latinx Upstarters, celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with cooking and art classes, trivia, and lotería, a traditional Mexican card game. They also presented about its history and importance at our weekly all-hands meeting, TGIF. The following month, Unidos’s leadership team worked with Upstart’s office management team to set up an ofrenda in our San Mateo, CA office for Dia de los Muertos, giving all Upstarters the opportunity to honor, participate in, and learn about the holiday. While this was a rich month and holiday where members and allies got to know each other better, we know that recognizing and appreciating Upstarters for all that they are is extremely valuable year-round.

Our ERGs also hosted multiple speakers to share their experiences with Upstarters. In August, the African American Employee Network (AAEN), hosted Tamarrian Rogers, who was recognized on Forbes’ lists of America’s Top 50 Women in Tech and the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech in 2018 and is the founder of Sarell. In September, Catalyst, Upstart’s ERG for LGBTQIA2+ Upstarters and allies, hosted Ethan Dettmer and Abbey Hudson, two of the lawyers involved in the litigation against Prop 8 in California.

In October, Superwomen hosted Arlan Hamilton, the founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capitalist firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech entrepreneurship by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women and/or LGBT. And in honor of Veterans Day, in November the Veterans Community ERG hosted Jimmy Pearson, a U.S. Navy veteran and current talent strategy consultant.

The impact of ERGs can also be felt outside of specific events or holidays. At the core of every Upstart ERG is a community of people who want to connect and encourage each other. Whether that’s by leaning on each other through tough work weeks, teaching each other new skills, or sharing recommendations for earplugs to soothe overstimulation, our ERGs support each other in big and small ways every day.

Thank you to all of our ERG Leads for a wonderful 2024 - we’re looking forward to 2025!

African American Employee Network (AAEN): Erica Sallee and Cameron Fulford
Asian Professionals of Upstart (APU): Shruti Tulpule
Catalyst: Casey Meadows and Joanna Thompson
Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, and North African ERG (MESWANA): Nadia Noor
Spectrum: Maureen Hernandez
Superwomen: Sai Vemuri
Unidos: Valentina Albright
Uplift: Amber Yao
Veterans Community: Jeff Carlisle
And thank you to our executive sponsors as well!

A Day in the Life at Upstart: Coding the Future of Credit

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

A Day in the Life at Upstart: Coding the Future of Credit

Every day, Upstarters push the boundaries of what’s possible by using AI to remake the lending process, working to improve access for all. But what does that look like in practice? We asked two Upstart engineers, Steph Skardal and Diego Accame, to bring us along for a “day in the life” to see firsthand how they solve complex problems, embrace our digital-first work environment, and shape the future of credit.

Diego Accame, who will celebrate his third Upstart anniversary in April, is a Director of Engineering on our Growth Vertical. His teams focus on the technology that works across all of our products and focus on the entire customer lifecycle from acquisition to conversion to engagement. They work hand-in-hand with the our Marketing and Machine Learning teams on ways to optimizing user experiences to help our customers on their journey to get loans.

Upstart’s mission to “improve access to credit for all” is what attracted Diego to the company.

“I chose to join Upstart because I do my best work when I know it's helping improve others’ lives,” he says. “Credit is a powerful lever, and when used correctly, it can let people get ahead and improve their quality of life”.

Steph Skardal is a Distinguished Software Engineer who supports our Servicing team, developing and maintaining the technology that powers Upstart’s loans to enhance the borrower experience. Steph’s focus is automating key elements of the borrower experience, and her team is currently exploring the use of large language models (LLMs) to support internal processes and manage borrower interactions. Since joining Upstart in January 2020, she has seen her impact grow—most recently by working on the launch of Upstart’s mobile app and witnessing the ongoing evolution of their work through new updates.

Our digital-first approach

Upstart’s digital-first culture empowers Upstarters to work from anywhere while fostering intentional, in-person collaboration through gatherings and team offsites (like our most recent company all-hands, Upstart Live). This flexibility empowers employees to balance professional impact with personal priorities.

For Steph, that means structuring her day around her family and workout before diving into her highest priorities: “Project management, writing code, supporting peers, interacting with stakeholders, refining product requirements, and more. Every day is different—sometimes my focus is on production support, while others I’m launching or refining new work.”

Diego, who enjoys cooking, appreciates the extra time he’s gained not having a commute, which allows him to experiment with new recipes and host friends for a meal. Last year, he took advantage of Upstart’s policy supporting employees to work from another country for a few weeks per year and went to Peru to spend time with his parents.

“Being digital-first allows me a lot of flexibility to be more connected to my family,” he says.

Our values

At Upstart, we don’t just focus on what we build, we also pay close attention to how we build it. Our core values serve as guiding principles for every Upstarter:

Every second counts
Do the right thing even when it’s hard
Make clever use of numbers
Be smart but know you might be wrong
Don’t assume it can’t be done

The value that resonates most with both Steph and Diego is “Every second counts.” At Upstart, transforming the lending process requires a bias for action.

“I only have so much time in the day, so I’m frequently recalibrating the greatest impact I can drive in that time,” says Steph.

Diego adds, “One of the reasons I became a software engineer is because of the magic of being able to see results from your work almost instantly! I love seeing the progress our team makes every day and brainstorming ways we can move even faster.”

Life at Upstart

Upstart’s values shape our culture, influencing day-to-day interactions between Upstarters as we collaborate on complex challenges, build connection in person or virtually, or come together every Friday as a company for TGIF (Upstart’s weekly online all hands). And that’s on top of all the Slack messages, Zoom meetings, and emails in between.

Diego’s favorite meeting of the day is his team’s daily standup, which is right after his lunch. “I’m a big craft chocolate fan, and I have my daily chocolate while being in that meeting. It makes an already great time with my team even better.”

For Steph, a favorite Upstart tradition is "bananigans." It's a homegrown term for a special blend of banter and shenanigans that kicks off many meetings. “I love seeing how much small talk a meeting owner will tolerate before steering us back to business,” she says. And then there are the Slack channels. Diego is a regular in #dogs and #dad-jokes, while Steph enjoys the cryptic humor of a channel where Upstarters share out-of-context meeting quotes.

A particularly fun Upstart tradition? Custom party GIFs for Diego:

“At one point when you do something particularly impressive, your teammates will create a party gif emoji of you. It’s a special moment when you start seeing people reacting to messages with your dancing face as its own personal party emoji.”

Build the future of credit at Upstart

A pillar of Upstart’s culture is continuous learning and professional growth. Employees are encouraged to take charge of their development and leverage Upstart’s learning and leadership programs.

For Steph, growth has meant thriving as an individual contributor, a path that aligns well with her strengths and Upstart’s needs. She also mentors others, advising them to “focus on the intersection of passion, skills, and impact opportunities at Upstart.”

Diego is passionate about supporting his team’s career development while also expanding the team for Upstart’s future.

“We are actively hiring for our marketing platform team, where we have an ambitious goal to do a full makeover of the platform that powers how we reach out to all of our customers,” he says. “We’re also building a new team focused on our existing borrowers and enabling them to seamlessly access our full suite of products.”

If you’re passionate about AI, expanding access to credit, and tackling complex challenges, we’d love to have you join us. Explore our open roles and join us in shaping the future of lending!

A Day in the Life at Upstart: Machine Learning is Product

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:25:13 +0000

A Day in the Life at Upstart: Machine Learning is Product

At Upstart, our mission to improve access to credit is powered by a core belief: that artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) can transform the lending industry. But what does that look like in everyday work? We caught up with four of our Machine Learning team members - Arman Guerra, Joe Orsini, Jon Michel, and Justin Wong to give us a peek into a day in the life of Machine Learning at Upstart.

Arman Guerra: Staff Data Scientist

💬 “We’re doing cutting-edge work that’s actually helping real people. That’s rare.”

🚴‍♂️ Daily Ritual: Biking between coffee shops, libraries, and home to stay fresh.

Joe Orsini: Director, Machine Learning

💬 “ML is the product here. Our work drives strategy and business results in a very real way.”

🎵 Theme Song: “Caught in the Treads” by Gatecreeper

Jon Michel: Director, Machine Learning

💬 “We’re always experimenting. It’s fun when new techniques actually pan out—and even more fun when they improve our models.”

🐶 Fun Fact: Builds his schedule around his ‘fairly lazy’ dog’s nap routine.

Justin Wong: Senior Manager, Machine Learning

💬 “Upstart lets us solve challenging problems that have a positive impact. It’s hard to ask for a better combo."

🧠 Known for: Writing notes to his “future self” at the end of each day to jumpstart the next one.

Why Upstart?

Everyone on the team has a different path to Upstart, but they share a common motivation: doing meaningful work with people who care.

“I’m usually skeptical when companies call themselves mission-driven,” says Arman. “But I asked every interviewer, ‘Do you feel like you’re making people’s lives better?’ And they all had thoughtful, honest answers. That sold me”.

Justin was inspired by the blend of creativity and impact. “Upstart gives you the freedom to design solutions—and the problems we solve actually improve peoples’ lives. That combo is hard to beat”.

And for Jon, the energy comes from the work itself. “Improving access to credit is a big goal, but day-to-day, what motivates me is how fun the work is. We’re always testing, iterating, and learning”.

Building What Matters

Upstart’s ML team is focused on a complex problem: making credit more accessible, accurate, and fair.

“Our models are what make Upstart valuable,” says Arman. “They’re more effective, inclusive, and efficient than traditional lending mechanisms”.

Every model improvement can mean a lower rate for a borrower or open up access to someone who was previously declined. “There’s no shortage of ideas to chase,” says Justin. “The hard part is picking the ones with the most leverage”.

And the challenge doesn’t stop at innovation—it’s also deeply technical. “It can take five years to observe the full impact of our ML decisions,” says Joe. “That makes model evaluation a fascinating statistical problem”.

Some of the team’s biggest breakthroughs include:

Payment Transition Modeling: Predicts the in-between stages of borrower delinquency using modern ML and classical stats. “It’s a more realistic and sophisticated way to model borrower behavior,” says Jon.
Default Risk Verification (DRVM): Surfaces hidden borrower risk and adjusts pricing accordingly. “It’s already saved borrowers money and driven $3M in revenue,” says Joe.
Fraud Detection: Arman helped build a new model from scratch to combat identity misuse in auto loans, “We believed we could outperform a vendor—and we did”.

And sometimes, big ideas start in Slack. “We have a Slack channel titled ‘Machine Learning Bad Ideas of the Day’ and it is one of the best parts of our culture,” says Justin. “Anyone can pitch ideas, and some turn into real improvements”. It’s a space where learning from failure is encouraged, and where even not-quite-right ideas can move us forward.

Life at Upstart

Our digital-first approach gives Upstarters the freedom to structure their day around how they work best. Arman starts his mornings at a coffee shop, works through midday at a library, and wraps up from home. “That movement keeps me fresh and focused,” he says. For Jon, it’s all about balance: “I log in early, check dashboards, then walk my dog mid-morning. Being home makes the work feel sustainable”. And for Justin, “Digital-first let me relocate with my partner for her residency—and it means we can hire the best people, regardless of geography”.

Learning and growth are core to the culture. “Upstart gives you room to define your role and expand it,” says Joe Orsini. “I’ve had the leeway to shape my team and help others grow their scope and impact”. Jon adds, “We rotate through projects in ML, stats, engineering, and product. It’s fast-paced and multidimensional—perfect for learning quickly”.

Collaboration is at the heart of every successful team and the Machine Learning team is no exception. “I work closely with ML, product, and growth teams,” says Justin. “Each brings a unique perspective, and together we build stronger models”. That alignment is intentional, Joe notes: “There’s no cross-team rivalry—just a shared focus on impact”.

The team’s work is grounded in Upstart’s values -

“Every second counts,” says Justin. “There are endless ways we could improve our models—so we focus hard on what matters most”.
“Speed is a habit here,” Jon adds. “You’re not just analyzing—you’re building and shipping. That momentum is empowering”.
Humility rounds out the picture. “Be Smart and Know You Might Be Wrong—that one really resonates,” says Joe. “It’s at the heart of good ML research: confidence in ideas, and openness to changing course”.

Build the future of credit with us!

“We’re actively hiring across Machine Learning Engineering, Data Science, and Research Scientist roles,” says Justin. “Our mission is ambitious: better differentiate risk to expand access to credit. We’re looking for curious, driven people who want to make a positive mark in the world”.

What helps someone thrive at Upstart? “Be unapologetically curious,” Justin adds. “The best ideas come from asking the right questions”.

Joe encourages future applicants to lean into rigor and creativity: “We really value foundational understanding and novel ideas. If you’re someone who not only applies models but understands why they work—and how to make them better—you’ll do well here”.

And growth is a given. “Upstart isn’t one-size-fits-all,” says Arman. “Whether you come from a traditional stats background or something totally unexpected, what matters most is how you think—and how willing you are to learn and explore”.

If you’re excited about applying AI to real-world problems, growing alongside a thoughtful and driven team, and helping make credit more fair and accessible, check out our open roles!

How Upstart Supports Hispanic and Latinx Voices

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Finding Belonging Through Unidos: How Upstart Supports Hispanic and Latinx Voices

When Valentina Albright began exploring new career opportunities in 2021, she was quickly drawn to a Customer Experience role at Upstart. For her, the job felt like a perfect match.

“I had all the skills listed, but they were also looking for a fluent Spanish speaker. I remember thinking: that could be me. All of a sudden, I felt seen.”

That feeling was reinforced during the hiring process when one of her interviews was conducted entirely in Spanish. “At that moment I immediately felt welcome,” she recalls. “It wasn’t just about language and proving I had the skills for the job. It showed me that Upstart cares deeply about making people feel valued and included.”

Once she joined, Valentina quickly realized that Upstart’s mission to improve access to credit for all had a direct connection to her community.

“Access to credit is a systemic challenge many Hispanic families face. When I thought about my parents, my friends, and many others across the U.S. who struggle with language barriers, I saw firsthand why this work matters. Upstart isn’t just serving English speakers, we’re helping everyone access financial opportunity.”

Her early work supporting customers in Spanish only deepened that sense of purpose. “Servicing loans in Spanish and being able to help people in their strongest language was powerful. It was customer service, but it was also human connection.”

Building Belonging Through Unidos

Today, Valentina leads Unidos, Upstart’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) for Hispanic and Latinx employees. The ERG has become a cornerstone of her experience at the company.

“Unidos isn’t just a community group, it’s an opportunity to share our culture and heritage with each other and everyone who works at Upstart. Whether we’re connecting on Slack, or bringing employees together for a virtual salsa making class, we find ways to celebrate who we are and the impact we make.”

Other Unidos members share similar experiences:

Ada Ortega, Head of Procurement: “I originally joined Unidos in 2021 when I began at Upstart. As a new employee it was great connecting with others who had similar interests and backgrounds. I’ve met some fantastic individuals and have loved seeing how our group has grown. I encourage everyone at Upstart to join one or more ERGs to take advantage of meeting others, sharing interests, and learning from each other.”

Brian Collins, Project Manager, Continuous Improvement: “I joined Unidos as an ally because I wanted to support my Hispanic/Latinx coworkers, participate in their culture, and get to know people I otherwise wouldn’t interact with. Being an ally has helped me to see the world through a different lens, understand issues and events going on in the Latinx community, and helped me to have more context for what’s happening in my coworkers’ lives beyond work.”

Unidos is one of several ERGs at Upstart, all designed to foster belonging and amplify diverse perspectives. For Valentina, the impact is deeply personal:

“When you can bring your full self to work, you do your best work. ERGs like Unidos make that possible. They’re not just about inclusion, they’re about empowerment.”

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Together

Every day is an opportunity to celebrate hispanic heritage and Unidos’ impact is felt by Upstarters year-round through events, storytelling, and community building opportunities. And every September, the fun gets turned up a notch during Hispanic Heritage Month where Upstarters can take part in fun activities like guest speaker sessions and virtual loterías. From welcoming new members daily to hosting networking events, Unidos plays a massive role in helping Upstarters feel seen, heard, and supported.

Valentina sums it up:

“For me, joining Upstart was about more than a role. It was about joining a mission I believe in, at a company that values who I am. Unidos has made that journey even more meaningful.”

Interested in joining a company where ERGs help shape culture and amplify voices? Be part of building the future of credit at Upstart, where teams drive real innovation and every Upstarter shapes what we build.

Explore our open roles today!

Making Time for What Matters Through Digital-First Flexibility

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 21:54:56 +0000

At Upstart, our digital-first culture empowers us to do our best work from wherever we thrive. During the holidays, that same flexibility helps us make space for both impact and connection. This season, two Upstarters share how being digital-first helps them balance meaningful work with meaningful moments.

Making the Most of Flexibility

For Shiva Sharan, a Senior Software Engineer on the Capital Markets team, digital-first work has reshaped how he experiences the holidays, and how he balances life and work all year long.

“The holidays are when my wife and I slow down and focus on family and reflection,” Shiva says. “Because Upstart embraces a digital-first culture, I can travel to see family without worrying about missing out on important work. I love that I can set my own rhythm, whether it’s joining a team sync from a different time zone or wrapping up projects before the holidays.”

That flexibility also allows Shiva to make meaningful progress on high-impact work, no matter where he is. During a recent trip to India for a family wedding, he was helping integrate Upstart’s conversion model into the pricing system.

“Even while traveling abroad, collaboration stayed effortless,” he says. “We coordinated through Slack and async updates, splitting the work so I could make progress during my day and hand it off to teammates in the U.S. time zone. That setup actually helped us move faster, since reviews and updates were happening almost around the clock.”

For Shiva, the trust and accountability that are core to Upstart’s culture are what make all the difference.

“There’s a shared understanding that people have lives outside of their laptops, and that balance helps us bring our best selves to work,” he says. “It’s rare to find a culture where flexibility is matched by accountability, and that balance is something I truly value.”

Finding Balance and Driving Impact

For Ayesha Khan, a Senior Customer Success Manager supporting Upstart’s Lending Partners, digital-first work has allowed her to balance a full and joyful life, as both a devoted mom and a long-tenured Upstarter.

“I’m a mom of three kids under six, all born during my time here,” Ayesha shares. “Upstart became an all-digital company while I was on maternity leave with my first child, and coming back to a flexible environment as a first-time mom changed everything.”

One of Ayesha’s favorite memories came during the 2020 holiday season, when she joined Upstart’s IPO celebration from home. "That first holiday season was extra special because I got to ring Upstart’s IPO bell with my eight-month-old son, Aadam,” she recalls. “Even though we were remote, it felt like we were standing side by side.”

Today, Ayesha brings that same energy and care to her work, focusing on building strong relationships and delivering high-impact results. Her thoughtful approach to digital-first work has strengthened those relationships and reinforced the trust she’s built with her partners.

In fact, during a recent trip to Pakistan, Ayesha kept her usual work schedule and later received glowing feedback from a stakeholder: “You kept similar hours to U.S. time zones and were present at every meeting. No one could tell if you were next door or halfway around the world!”. When asked how she felt about that feedback Ayesha shared, “It was only possible because my Upstart team made me feel supported and present.”

That kind of support has made it possible for Ayesha to continue to show up fully, both for her team and her family.“The flexibility at Upstart has been crucial as my family has grown. It’s allowed me to maintain my passion and dedication to work while successfully managing my personal life and family responsibilities.”

And for anyone joining a digital-first company, Ayesha’s advice is simple: “You’re joining a company that delivers exceptional digital experiences to its customers and you can trust Upstart to do the same for its employees.”

The Freedom to Thrive

Whether it’s putting the final touches on an end-of-year project or taking time to reconnect with loved ones, Upstarters agree that flexibility gives them the freedom to be fully present in work and in life.“We all want to do meaningful work,” Shiva says, “but we also want to be there for the moments that matter. Upstart makes both possible.”

At Upstart, we know time is one of the most valuable things we have. Through our digital-first approach, we create space for both impact and presence, not just during the holidays, but all year long.

Interested in joining a company that values flexibility and freedom to thrive wherever you are? Explore our open roles today!

Applying to Upstart? Here's How We Think About AI in Hiring

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 05:03:33 +0000

As a company built on AI, we think deeply about how technology should be used thoughtfully, responsibly, and with clear ownership. That perspective shapes not just the products we build, but how we work together and how we hire at Upstart.

As AI tools become more accessible, we know candidates are using them in different ways throughout the hiring process. Our philosophy on it is simple: we welcome AI when it supports your thinking, but it shouldn’t replace it.

Our Principle

What matters most to us is your judgement, your ideas, and how you choose to use the tools available to you. You should feel confident standing behind what you submit, how you explain it, and how it reflects your own experience.

That expectation mirrors how we work every day. We trust Upstarters to think critically, move with purpose, and use AI responsibly while staying accountable for the outcomes they deliver.

What That Means in Practice

There’s no single “right” way to use AI during our hiring process. Instead, we look for clarity, ownership, and authenticity. Here are a few examples of what thoughtful AI use might look like:

Resumes or writing samples
You might use AI to refine language, reorganize content, or clarify structure. That’s completely fine. What matters is that the work still represents you and that you’re comfortable discussing every detail.

Coding interviews
You may choose to use AI to help generate or debug code. If you do, we ask that you let your interviewer know and walk us through what the tool produced, what you changed, and why. We care far more about how you think than what a tool outputs.

Take-home challenges
You might use AI to organize your response or explore different approaches. Including a short note about how AI shaped your process can help us understand your thinking. Transparency isn’t about disclosure for its own sake, it’s about making your reasoning visible.

Ultimately, we trust your judgment. These examples simply highlight where clarity and ownership matter most. And ahead of any interview, your recruiter will work with you to clarify any role- or interview-specific constraints on AI tool usage.

What We're Really Evaluating

No matter where or how you use AI, we’re focused on:

Your understanding of the problem
Your decision-making and judgment
Your ability to explain your work
Your ownership of the outcome

AI can help speed things up or offer new perspectives, but it’s your thinking that makes the difference.

Why This Matters to Us

We want our hiring process to truly reflect what it’s like to work here. If our approach resonates with you, take a look at our open roles and see how you can make a meaningful impact with us!

Financial Confidence Starts Here, for our Customers and Employees

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 01:15:11 +0000

At Upstart, our mission is to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. At its core, that mission is about financial wellness and helping people worry less about money so they can move forward with confidence. This mindset isn’t just applied to our customers; it also shapes how we support the people doing the work every day. One recent example is our redesigned 401(k) program.

Starting in 2026, we enhanced our 401(k) match to $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually. While it may look like a familiar benefit on the surface, the program was intentionally designed with Upstarters’ financial confidence and long-term stability in mind.

“Financial stress can take up a lot of mental space,” says Becca Kidder, Upstart’s Chief People Officer. “We believe that when that stress is reduced, people are better able to focus, contribute, and do their best work.”

A 401(k) Designed to Work for Everyone

Alongside building financial confidence and stability, we also focused on designing a benefit grounded in equal access, and one that reflects our appreciation for everyone who works here.Typically, traditional 401(k) programs tie employer matching to a percentage of salary. That often results in higher earners receiving significantly more of the benefit. We set out to do it differently.

“Our 401(k) is designed to work the same for everyone, regardless of role or level,” says Sam Griffith, VP of Total Rewards. “Every Upstarter has access to the same match opportunity, with the same structure and incentives.”

“In the same way that our product is about fairer access to credit, our goal was to design the 401k in the same spirit,” says Becca. “Every Upstarters gets equity compensation as a part of their offer to join, too. These are just a few of the ways that we demonstrate how important every employee is to achieving our mission.”

Encouraging Ownership with the Right Support

Because Upstart is in the business of enabling financial freedom, we believe real success comes when people are supported and encouraged to take an active role in their financial lives. That’s why our approach goes beyond offering strong benefits. We pair them with education, guidance, and tools designed to meet people where they are and help them make confident, informed decisions over time.

“We don’t just want to offer a retirement plan,” says Sam. “We want to give Upstarters the knowledge and resources they need to actually use it well. Whether they’re thinking about retirement, saving for a milestone, or just trying to feel more confident about their financial decisions.”

What This Means for People Considering Upstart

At Upstart, our approach to our redesigned 401(k), and Total Rewards overall, is not about checking boxes or keeping up with benchmarks. It’s about creating a workplace where people feel genuinely supported in managing their personal lives so they can continue to make a meaningful impact for others.

If you’re looking to join a company that’s intentional about how it supports people at work and beyond, we’d love to hear from you. Explore our open roles today!