Meet the Team

  • Ophelia He

    Co-Founder & CEO

    Ophelia He is a sophomore student at Yale. She is majoring Computer Science. She attended USACO and was qualified for USAMO in high school. She enjoys electrical engineering and NLP in her free time. Ophelia’s other interests include Web3/crypto, AI, music, philosophical debate, and politics.

  • Alex Wang

    Co-Founder & COO

    Alex Wang is currently pursuing his Master's degree in Biostatistics at Yale University, having completed his Bachelor's degree in Statistics and Economics at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Swapa, he founded a startup called SkillsX, aimed at facilitating skill exchanges among individuals. He has also gained valuable experience in the financial sector, with a particular focus on the IPO process, during his summer internship at an Investment Bank. With a profound interest in strategic gaming and quantitative analysis, He excels at No-Limit Texas Hold'em and drives his current pursuit of knowledge in quantitative investing, thereby enriching his already diverse skill set.

  • Xien Chen

    Co-Founder & CTO

    Xien Chen is currently a sophomore at Yale University majoring in Computer Science. She is also in Yale Vision Lab and interned at Li Auto as AI algorithm developer. She is passionate about autonomous agents, embodied intelligence, and technical art. She is dedicated to create intelligent solutions and immersive experiences.

About Swapa

Swapa is a dedicated social media platform for university students, allowing them to exchange items while also making new friendships. It's not just about trading possessions: it's about building connections.

Exchanging: Swapa stands apart from platforms like Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Here, people swap items based on personal needs, not on price points. In fact, our app doesn't even define items by price.

Social: More than just exchanges, we believe in fostering connections. By integrating features reminiscent of dating apps, our personal profile section encourages users to truly get to know one another as they trade items.

Community Support: We also offer a space for students to seek and provide answers. Through dedicated posts, students can collaborate, share knowledge, and support each other's academic journeys.