“Women make the first move,” Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd lives by the app’s catchphrase as she becomes the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire.
The company prides itself on its female-first approach — creating a space for women by women. When Herd launched the dating app in 2014, it defied gender norms by liberating women to make the first move. Seven years later, Bumble is soaring in the stock market after raising $2.2 billion during its opening trade. Now the company is currently valued at over $7 billion with nearly 42 million active users who continue to use the app.
The CEO joins the ranks of fellow billionaire girl bosses, like Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake and the RealReal’s Julie Wainwright. According to a message on Bumble’s website, Herd was urged to start the company when she noticed how many of the women around her were still waiting on a guy to find love. “For all the advances women had been making in workplaces and corridors of power, the gender dynamics of dating and romance still seemed so outdated.”
The dating app has since evolved from just being a place for budding romance, to becoming a network platform for all kinds of connections. You can spark new friendships on Bumble BFF, or link with other professionals on Bumble Bizz.
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