Robert Thelen

Robert Thelen is the Co-Founder of LlamaFarm, an open-source platform that enables developers to build, deploy, and govern AI applications locally. A builder at heart, Robert is focused on the “execution” phase of the AI revolution, helping engineers move beyond fragile prototypes to production-grade, privacy-focused AI systems without vendor lock-in.

Robert is a Y Combinator alumnus (W22) and previously served as the Co-Founder and CEO of Rownd. Before entering the startup world, he was a Product Lead at IBM for API Connect, managing a $200M+ portfolio. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Robert served as a Flight Commander and Combat Advisor in Afghanistan. He holds an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and is headquartered in Raleigh, NC.