Yang Zhao

Chief Business Officer, Handshake AI · Handshake AI

Handshake AI's Chief Business Officer, running business development and operations. He spent four years as Head of Product Deployment and Operations at Scale AI — delivery at the largest incumbent.

medium confidenceAt Handshake AI since 2025Updated 2026-09-19

Background

Growth and strategy lead at Zumper before Scale AI; The Org also lists SurveyMonkey and Humming Homes. MBA from Berkeley Haas; BA from Cornell. He joined Handshake AI in January 2025, per the Handshake welcome post.

What they run now

Business and operations development with labs. The Org shows reports including a VP Strategic Partnerships & Growth and a Head of New Verticals (Atif Z. Qadir).

Career

2025-01 – presentChief Business Officer, Handshake AI
—Head of Product Deployment and Operations, Scale AI — about 4 years
—Growth and strategy lead, Zumper
—UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, MBA
—Cornell University, BA

On the record

Expert network · 2025

Called Handshake's network the largest expert network in the US, which is why he joined. source

Connections

Sahil Bhaiwala — fellow ex-Scale AI hire
Garrett Lord — CEO

Why it matters here

His org includes a 'Head of New Verticals', the most direct entry point for a creative/taste vertical at Handshake AI. High relevance.

How to reach

Via his new-verticals lead or a Scale AI alumni intro (speculation).

What we could not establish

Date of the welcome post and whether 'January' means January 2025; LinkedIn URL not verified.
Reporting lines come from an unverified The Org profile.

Sources

Also at Handshake AI

high confidence

Yang Zhao

Background

What they run now

Career

On the record

Connections

Sources

Garrett Lord

Ben Christensen

Scott Ringwelski

Jonathan Stull

Sahil Bhaiwala

Wes Field

Paco Guzmán