Ainsley Harris has been writing about business, technology, and innovation for over 10 years. Her work encompasses longform features, in-depth profiles, and reported essays.
At Fast Company, she has taken readers behind the scenes at organizations including Y Combinator, YouTube, and OpenAI. Through her profiles, she seeks to understand the emerging voices shaping both business and culture, such as California Congresswoman Katie Porter and investor Chamath Palihapitiya. She has also reported on Silicon Valley’s cautionary tales, like Juul, Divvy Homes, and Tilt.
Ainsley started her career in journalism, but took a detour from the field after college. Along the way, she worked as an analyst at McKinsey & Company, raised millions of dollars in venture philanthropy funding, and joined an early-stage startup.
She graduated from Williams College with a bachelor's degree in English and political science and holds a master’s degree in creative technology from ITP, the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Today she lives in Chicago with her husband, two children, and distinguished labradoodle, Lord Byron.