Miles Lasater caught the entrepreneurship bug early in life. Growing up in San Francisco, both of his parents started their own businesses. Plus, his friend's parents were involved in some of the most iconic companies in Silicon Valley at the time.
"It's about what's worth solving and how do we organize people to tackle that problem and serve customers," he said.
Once at Yale, Lasater '01 met fellow undergraduate student Sean Glass '03 who shared his interest in innovation.
"We were both excited about entrepreneurship and thought there should be a place for students to come together for education and working opportunities," Lasater said.
So, in 1999, the Yale Entrepreneurial Society (YES) was born. Almost 30 years later, the student-run nonprofit YES has become one of the largest undergraduate organizations on campus. YES helps students transform ideas into reality through talks, dinners, and execution-focused programs.
"Yale had all the ingredients to be a major force in the startup world, so we decided that we would try to get things moving by starting YES," Glass said.
Starting up
Today, Lasater is the CEO and founder of Purpose Built, a venture capital studio, and Glass is managing partner of Evidenced, an investment firm. When they started YES, it was during the dot-com bubble, a period characterized by the rise of internet-based companies' stock prices. A bust ultimately followed in the early 2000s.
Lasater says YES had strong membership numbers almost immediately. For them, the two priorities were educational and networking opportunities. They didn't just want students to meet each other but also people from off campus, especially those with entrepreneurship experience.
"Starting YES became a great way to build many new friendships while pursuing something I was passionate about," Glass said.
In fact, during the first year of YES, they were able to bring high-profile speakers like Jay Walker, the founder of the online travel agency Priceline, to campus. With support from Bruce Alexander '65, then Yale University's vice president for New Haven and state affairs, they were also able to host a business plan competition where they gave away $50,000 in prizes.
In its early years, YES also visited some successful companies in New York City as well as held frequent networking events where students could meet people they might want to work with. Lasater and Glass ultimately partnered up on their own startup called Higher One, which handled financial aid disbursement for hundreds of college campuses. The company went on to hire hundreds of employees in New Haven and helped put the city's startup scene on the map.
Creating together
Today, YES is thriving on campus, encompassing more than 350 students from diverse academic backgrounds. The organization has been committed to creating unique opportunities and providing resources for current builders on campus. Most notably, during the summer of 2026, YES marked Yale as the first undergraduate university to create a physical "Hacker House" in San Francisco. This opportunity brought together 15 Yale undergraduate founders for a 10-week, fully funded, live-in residency in the Nob Hill neighborhood.
Additionally, YES brings in some of the most promising and well-known founders to speak at its INSPIRE Speaker Series, inviting all Yale students to receive powerful insights into cybersecurity, venture capital, and much more. In recent years, YES has also introduced bi-annual tech treks to both Boston and New York City, where founders and aspiring Bulldog entrepreneurs get to meet face-to-face with think tanks, venture firms, and key leaders in the finance industry.
"At Yale, there is a distinct culture of the ampersand, where students are encouraged to explore all passions and combine skill sets," said Sofia Teifeld '29, co-president of YES. "I believe that YES fits perfectly into that spirit by creating a network where passion-driven problem solvers can combine skill sets and do what they love most: create."
Paying it forward
Lasater said he has been excited to see the growth of Yale's innovation ecosystem in the decades since YES began, from the innovation center Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (CITY) to the accelerator Yale Ventures. As an entrepreneur himself, it was important for him to stay connected with the Yale community. He's taught classes at the Yale School of Management and is also on the advisory board of Yale Ventures. To maintain a strong innovation ecosystem, you have to pay it forward, Lasater says.
"From a personal perspective, I am very moved to help turn dreams into reality," he said. "When I hear someone else express, 'I've been thinking about starting this thing,' I can't help but say 'let's make it happen.'"
For Glass, it's been worthwhile to see what has come out of YES, including the countless Yale students and graduates that have succeeded as entrepreneurs and investors.
"Entrepreneurship is about creating value for society," he said. "If YES has spurred more of the bright, motivated individuals who attend Yale to create more good for the world, I would like to think that is one of the most important things I've accomplished so far in my life."
