Thomas Lee Young, 24, is an unlikely Silicon Valley founder. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, he grew up around oil rigs and energy infrastructure due to his family’s engineering background. This unique upbringing has become his calling card in pitch meetings with oil and gas executives, but it also highlights the unconventional path that led him to create Interface.
Young’s journey began at Caltech, where he was accepted at age 11. However, COVID-19 disrupted his plans, forcing him to choose a cheaper engineering program in the UK. He eventually landed a job at Jaguar Land Rover, working on human factors engineering. There, he saw the problem that would become Interface: outdated and poorly designed safety documentation tools.
Young met Aaryan Mehta, an Indian-Belgian co-founder and CTO, through Entrepreneur First. Together, they built AI-powered solutions to tackle the issue. Their pitch was straightforward: use AI to make heavy industry safer by autonomously auditing operating procedures using large language models.
The company has secured significant contracts with major energy companies, including a $2.5 million annual contract with a Canadian energy firm. Interface’s software found 10,800 errors in just two and a half months, saving the company more than $35 million and two years of manual work.
Young’s age and background – a white guy with a Caribbean accent and a Chinese last name – have become his secret weapons in Silicon Valley. He delivers his “wow moment” by explaining an understanding of operations, workers’ daily routines, and exactly how much time and money Interface can save them.
Despite the intensity of the startup life, Young has found success in creating an unconventional edge for himself and his company. His unique background has allowed him to tap into a shortage of talent in heavy industry, making Interface an attractive option for companies looking to improve safety procedures.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/21/how-this-founders-unlikely-path-to-silicon-valley-could-become-an-edge-in-industrial-tech