Julia Hartz
Born 1979 · Age 46
American entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder & CEO of Eventbrite, a global ticketing and event technology platform. Recognized for leadership during COVID-19, advocacy for women in tech, and scaling Eventbrite from a bootstrapped startup to a public company.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Santa Cruz, California
Julia D. Hartz was born in Santa Cruz, California.
Graduated Pepperdine University (BA, Telecommunication)
Completed a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunication at Pepperdine University.
Started as Development Executive at MTV
Joined MTV as a development executive and contributed to programming including the Jackass TV series.
Left MTV
Concluded role at MTV (development executive, contributed to Jackass) after approximately two years.
Joined FX Networks (TV development/oversight)
Worked at FX Networks, helping oversee shows including The Shield, Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck and 30 Days.
Left FX Networks
Ended tenure at FX Networks around 2005 before moving into entrepreneurship.
Engaged to Kevin Hartz
Announced engagement to Kevin Hartz (future co-founder of Eventbrite).
Co-founded Eventbrite (with Kevin Hartz & Renaud Visage)
Co-founded Eventbrite to democratize ticketing and event management; company began in a Potrero Hill windowless phone closet in San Francisco.
Bootstrapping Eventbrite (early operations)
Eventbrite bootstrapped its early years operating from a small space and focusing on product-market fit.
Married Kevin Hartz
Married Kevin Hartz approximately five months after founding Eventbrite.
Completed initial 2-year bootstrapping phase
After roughly two years, Eventbrite continued product development and prepared for scaled growth.
Began hiring beyond founders (4th year growth)
Eventbrite started to expand its team in its 4th year of operations, moving beyond founder-only staffing.
Named among Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs
Selected by Fortune magazine as one of the most powerful women entrepreneurs (widely cited recognition).
Named to Fortune '40 Under 40' (one of multiple honors)
Honored as one of Fortune's 40 Under 40 business leaders (one of multiple Fortune recognitions).
Named to Inc.'s '35 Under 35'
Included in Inc. Magazine's list recognizing young entrepreneurs (listed in bios; exact year broadly cited).
Featured on Forbes cover (Sequoia feature)
Appeared on the cover of Forbes in a feature about Sequoia Capital's notable investments and founders.
Investor in multiple startups and companies
Began/expanded angel and direct investments in startups/brands including Minted, Chairish, Playa Capital Company, Tamara Mellon and Color Genomics (dates vary; public bios list these investments).
Raised $60M funding at near $1B valuation
Eventbrite raised about $60 million in a financing round that placed the company near a $1 billion valuation.
Eventbrite named in Fortune's 'Great Places to Work for Millennials'
Eventbrite achieved listing on Fortune’s list of great workplaces for millennials.
Kevin Hartz temporarily stepped down as CEO
Kevin Hartz announced a temporary step down from the CEO role (transition of leadership began).
Eventbrite ticketed over 2.1M events in 180 countries
As of 2016 the platform had ticketed more than 2.1 million events in ~180 countries.
Appointed CEO of Eventbrite and joined Board of Directors
Julia Hartz was appointed CEO of Eventbrite and became a member of the company's board after Kevin Hartz stepped down.
Company scale (575 employees, 10 offices)
Eventbrite reported about 575 employees ('britelings') across roughly 10 global offices.
Named to UCSF Board of Overseers
Became a member of the University of California, San Francisco’s Board of Overseers (date per public biography references).
Appointed to Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Board of Directors
Named to the Board of Directors of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, expanding her hospitality industry role.
Named a Henry Crown Fellow (Aspen Institute)
Recognized as part of the Aspen Institute's 2018 class of Henry Crown Fellows.
Executive focus on profitable growth and balance-sheet strength
Public statements and coverage show strategic focus on profitability and future-proofing Eventbrite's business model after years of growth.
Took Eventbrite public (IPO)
Eventbrite completed its initial public offering, making Julia Hartz one of the relatively few female CEOs to lead a tech IPO.
Featured in Forbes profile & company scale metrics cited
Forbes profiles her leadership; Eventbrite reported powering over three million events annually in more than 170 countries (2019 coverage).
Guest on Masters of Scale (Reid Hoffman) podcast
Appeared in a long-form interview on Masters of Scale to discuss building Eventbrite.
Public advocacy for women and diversity in tech
Recognized for championing gender equality, building a 50/50 gender balance at Eventbrite, and promoting inclusive hiring practices.
Guest on How I Built This (Guy Raz)
Featured on NPR's How I Built This with Guy Raz discussing Eventbrite and entrepreneurship.
Led Eventbrite through COVID-19 pandemic response
Known for leadership guiding Eventbrite during the COVID-19 pandemic as live events collapsed and virtual events rose.
Media recognition for leadership during live-events recovery
Featured in Fortune and other outlets for navigating Eventbrite through the pandemic and positioning it as resilient amid recovery.
Named among '20 Most Influential Leaders to Watch (SME Business Review)'
Profiled as one of the influential leaders to watch in 2024 by SME Business Review, highlighting impact and inclusive culture leadership.
Key Achievement Ages
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