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| name        = Whitney Wolfe Herd
| name        = Whitney Wolfe Herd
| birth_name  = Whitney Wolfe
| birth_name  = Whitney Wolfe
| image        = TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2018 - day 2 (30647055838).jpg
| caption      = Wolfe Herd in 2018
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1989|7|1}}
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1989|7|1}}
| birth_place  = [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]], U.S.
| birth_place  = [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]], U.S.
| nationality  = American
| nationality  = American
| education    = [[Southern Methodist University]] (BA)
| education    = [[Southern Methodist University]] (BA)
| occupation  = Entrepreneur, technology executive
| occupation  = Entrepreneur, business executive
| known_for    = Founding [[Bumble (app)|Bumble]], co-founding [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]]
| known_for    = Founder of [[Bumble (app)|Bumble]], co-founder of [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]]
| children    = 2
| children    = 2
| awards      = ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' 100 Most Influential People (2018)
}}
}}


'''Whitney Wolfe Herd''' (born July 1, 1989) is an American entrepreneur and technology executive who founded the dating and social networking platform [[Bumble (app)|Bumble]], where she has served as chief executive officer and executive chair. Before creating Bumble, Wolfe Herd was a co-founder and vice president of marketing at [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]], the dating application that helped popularize the "swipe" mechanic in mobile dating.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-01-29 |title=Whitney Wolfe Says Goodbye to Tinder, Hello to Bumble |url=http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/jan/29/whitney-wolfe-says-goodbye-tinder-hello-bumble/ |work=Los Angeles Business Journal |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Her departure from Tinder in 2014 amid a sexual harassment lawsuit drew national attention and set the stage for her founding of Bumble, a platform built on the premise that women should initiate conversations in heterosexual matches.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2015-04-12 |title=Bumble: the dating app where women call the shots |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/12/bumble-dating-app-women-call-shots-whitney-wolfe |work=The Guardian |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Bumble went public in February 2021, and Wolfe Herd became one of the youngest women to take a company public in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |date=2021-02-11 |title=Bumble IPO: CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd |url=https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Named to ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2018, Wolfe Herd has become a prominent figure in the technology industry and a central voice in debates about women's safety and empowerment in online spaces.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd: 2018 Time 100 |url=https://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217594/whitney-wolfe-herd/ |publisher=Time |date=2018 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
'''Whitney Wolfe Herd''' (née '''Wolfe'''; born July 1, 1989) is an American entrepreneur and business executive who founded the dating application [[Bumble (app)|Bumble]], a platform that distinguished itself by requiring women to initiate conversation in heterosexual matches. Before launching Bumble, Wolfe Herd was a co-founder of the dating app [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]], where she served as Vice President of Marketing and played a central role in the app's early growth and brand strategy.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-04-12 |title=Can Bumble's Whitney Wolfe be the queen of dating? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/12/bumble-dating-app-women-call-shots-whitney-wolfe |work=The Guardian |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Her departure from Tinder in 2014 was accompanied by a widely publicized sexual harassment lawsuit, after which she channeled her experiences into creating a new kind of social platform — one built around the principle that women should have the power to make the first move in online dating.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-09-19 |title=The True Story Behind Swiped, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and the Birth of Bumble |url=https://time.com/7314564/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble/ |work=Time |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Bumble grew rapidly under her leadership, and when the company went public in February 2021, Wolfe Herd became one of the youngest women to take a company public on a U.S. stock exchange.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2021-02-11 |title=Bumble IPO: CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd on BMBL stock, shares, and the app's initial public offering |url=https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She holds approximately 23 million shares in Bumble Inc. and has served as the company's founder, CEO, and executive chair.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-05-10 |title='The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==


Whitney Wolfe was born on July 1, 1989, in [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd |url=https://atxwoman.com/whitney-wolfe/ |publisher=ATX Woman |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She grew up in Salt Lake City before eventually relocating to [[Texas]] for her higher education. Details about her parents and family background during her childhood years are limited in publicly available sources, though her later entrepreneurial career suggests an early interest in business and social dynamics.
Whitney Wolfe was born on July 1, 1989, in [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd: How she became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire |url=https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471 |publisher=Management Today |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She grew up in the Salt Lake City area before eventually relocating to Texas for her higher education. Details about her family background and childhood remain relatively private; Wolfe Herd has spoken publicly in interviews primarily about her professional trajectory rather than her early upbringing.


While still a student at [[Southern Methodist University]] (SMU) in [[Dallas]], Wolfe demonstrated an entrepreneurial inclination. She launched a clothing line called Tender Heart, which was featured in the SMU student newspaper, ''The Daily Campus''.<ref>{{cite news |title=SMU senior Whitney Wolfe launches second business, clothing line Tender Heart |url=http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/smu-senior-whitney-wolfe-launches-second-business-clothing-line-tender-heart |work=The Daily Campus |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The venture reflected her early interest in combining entrepreneurship with causes she cared about. Wolfe later moved to [[Los Angeles]], where she became involved in the technology startup scene that would define her career.
While still a college student, Wolfe demonstrated entrepreneurial instincts. During her time at [[Southern Methodist University]] (SMU) in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], she launched a clothing line called Tender Heart, which sold bamboo tote bags and T-shirts to raise money for areas affected by the 2010 [[Deepwater Horizon oil spill]] and other environmental causes.<ref>{{cite web |title=SMU senior Whitney Wolfe launches second business, clothing line Tender Heart |url=http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/smu-senior-whitney-wolfe-launches-second-business-clothing-line-tender-heart |publisher=SMU Daily Campus |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The venture, though modest in commercial scale, attracted some attention and foreshadowed Wolfe's capacity for merging business ventures with social causes — a pattern that would define her later career.


== Education ==
== Education ==


Wolfe Herd attended [[Southern Methodist University]] in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], where she earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree.<ref>{{cite news |title=SMU senior Whitney Wolfe launches second business, clothing line Tender Heart |url=http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/smu-senior-whitney-wolfe-launches-second-business-clothing-line-tender-heart |work=The Daily Campus |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> During her time at SMU, she was active in entrepreneurial ventures, including her Tender Heart clothing line. Her college years in Dallas positioned her within Texas's growing technology and business ecosystem, a connection she would maintain when she later headquartered Bumble in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].
Wolfe Herd attended [[Southern Methodist University]] in Dallas, Texas, where she earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd: How she became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire |url=https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471 |publisher=Management Today |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Her time at SMU was formative in shaping her approach to business and technology. It was during her college years that she launched her first entrepreneurial project, the Tender Heart clothing line, and began developing the social networking instincts that would later guide her work at Tinder and Bumble.<ref>{{cite web |title=SMU senior Whitney Wolfe launches second business, clothing line Tender Heart |url=http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/smu-senior-whitney-wolfe-launches-second-business-clothing-line-tender-heart |publisher=SMU Daily Campus |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Her undergraduate education at SMU also placed her within the broader Dallas social scene, which played a role in the early development and testing of Tinder's platform, as the app gained early traction in part through college campus marketing strategies that Wolfe helped design.


== Career ==
== Career ==
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=== Tinder ===
=== Tinder ===


After graduating from Southern Methodist University, Wolfe became involved with [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]] in its early stages. She is credited as a co-founder of the dating application, which launched in 2012 and rapidly transformed the landscape of online dating by introducing the now-ubiquitous swipe-based matching system.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-09-22 |title=Whitney Wolfe Helped Make Tinder a Success. Then She Created Its Fiercest Competitor. |url=https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/a66106070/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble |work=Biography |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> At Tinder, Wolfe served as vice president of marketing and is credited with playing a significant role in growing the app's early user base, particularly through outreach to college campuses and young demographics.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-01-01 |title=Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe and Bumble |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/tinder-co-founder-whitney-wolfe-and-bumble-2015-1 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
After completing her studies at SMU, Wolfe joined the team that would build [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]], one of the most influential mobile dating applications of the 2010s. She served as a co-founder and Vice President of Marketing at the company.<ref>{{cite news |date=2022-09-22 |title=Whitney Wolfe Helped Make Tinder a Success. Then She Created Its Fiercest Competitor. |url=https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/a66106070/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble |work=Biography |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> In that role, Wolfe was instrumental in popularizing Tinder among college students through a grassroots marketing strategy that involved visiting university campuses and encouraging students to download the app.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-01-29 |title=Whitney Wolfe says goodbye to Tinder, hello to Bumble |url=http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/jan/29/whitney-wolfe-says-goodbye-tinder-hello-bumble/ |work=Los Angeles Business Journal |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Wolfe's campus-centric approach helped Tinder achieve rapid user growth, particularly among young adults, and established the swipe-based dating model that would transform the industry.


In June 2014, Wolfe departed from Tinder and subsequently filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company and several of its executives, including co-founder Justin Mateen.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-07 |title=Tinder: Whitney Wolfe, Sean Rad, Justin Mateen Sexual Harassment Suit |url=http://heavy.com/tech/2014/07/tinder-whitney-wolfe-sean-rad-justin-mateen-sexual-harassment-suit/ |work=Heavy |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The lawsuit alleged that Wolfe had been subjected to sexist remarks and harassing text messages and that her co-founder title had been stripped because, according to the suit, the company's leadership believed that having a young female co-founder "makes the company look like a joke."<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-07 |title=Tinder: Whitney Wolfe, Sean Rad, Justin Mateen Sexual Harassment Suit |url=http://heavy.com/tech/2014/07/tinder-whitney-wolfe-sean-rad-justin-mateen-sexual-harassment-suit/ |work=Heavy |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The case drew widespread media attention and became part of a larger national conversation about sexism and harassment in the technology industry. In November 2014, the lawsuit was settled for a reported amount of just over one million dollars, and Wolfe did not receive an admission of wrongdoing from Tinder or its parent company.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-11 |title=Whitney Wolfe settles sexual harassment Tinder lawsuit for $1 million |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/whitney-wolfe-settles-sexual-harassment-tinder-lawsuit-1-million-2014-11 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The settlement included terms that prevented Wolfe from discussing certain details of the case publicly.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-12-02 |title=Whitney Wolfe, founder of dating app Bumble, has had quite the year. She just can't discuss parts of it. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/02/whitney-wolfe-founder-of-dating-app-bumble-has-had-quite-the-year-she-just-cant-discuss-parts-of-it/ |work=The Washington Post |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
However, Wolfe's tenure at Tinder ended acrimoniously. In June 2014, she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company, alleging that she had been subjected to sexist and harassing behavior by co-founder Justin Mateen and that she had been stripped of her co-founder title.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe and Sean Rad, Justin Mateen sexual harassment suit |url=http://heavy.com/tech/2014/07/tinder-whitney-wolfe-sean-rad-justin-mateen-sexual-harassment-suit/ |publisher=Heavy |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The lawsuit generated substantial media coverage and public attention, bringing broader conversations about sexism in the technology industry into sharp focus. In November 2014, the case was settled for a reported sum of just over $1 million, and Wolfe was bound by the terms of the settlement not to discuss certain details of the arrangement publicly.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-11 |title=Whitney Wolfe settles sexual harassment Tinder lawsuit for $1 million |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/whitney-wolfe-settles-sexual-harassment-tinder-lawsuit-1-million-2014-11 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2015-12-02 |title=Whitney Wolfe, founder of dating app Bumble, has had quite the year. She just can't discuss parts of it. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/02/whitney-wolfe-founder-of-dating-app-bumble-has-had-quite-the-year-she-just-cant-discuss-parts-of-it/ |work=The Washington Post |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
The experience at Tinder proved to be a turning point in Wolfe's career. Rather than retreating from the technology industry, she channeled the difficulties she had experienced into a new venture, one that would center the experiences of women in online dating.


=== Founding of Bumble ===
=== Founding of Bumble ===


Following her departure from Tinder, Wolfe initially considered stepping away from the dating app space entirely. However, she was approached by [[Andrey Andreev]], the Russian-British entrepreneur who founded the social networking platform [[Badoo]], about creating a new dating product.<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-11-14 |title=Billion-Dollar Bumble: How Whitney Wolfe Herd Built America's Fastest-Growing Dating App |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/11/14/billion-dollar-bumble-how-whitney-wolfe-herd-built-americas-fastest-growing-dating-app/#1cb7bf24248b |work=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> With Andreev's financial backing and technical infrastructure through Badoo's parent company, Wolfe founded Bumble in 2014 and launched the app in December of that year.
In 2014, shortly after leaving Tinder, Wolfe Herd founded [[Bumble (app)|Bumble]], a dating application with a distinctive feature: in heterosexual matches, only the woman could initiate a conversation. This "women make the first move" model was designed to address some of the dynamics that Wolfe Herd had observed and experienced in both the online dating world and the technology industry more broadly.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-04-12 |title=Can Bumble's Whitney Wolfe be the queen of dating? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/12/bumble-dating-app-women-call-shots-whitney-wolfe |work=The Guardian |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> In founding Bumble, Wolfe Herd partnered with [[Badoo]] founder Andrey Andreev, who provided funding and infrastructure through the company's parent entity.


The defining feature of Bumble was its requirement that, in heterosexual matches, women must send the first message within 24 hours of matching or the connection expires.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-04-12 |title=Bumble: the dating app where women call the shots |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/12/bumble-dating-app-women-call-shots-whitney-wolfe |work=The Guardian |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Wolfe Herd described this feature as a mechanism to shift the power dynamics of online dating and reduce the volume of unwanted or harassing messages that women frequently received on other platforms. Speaking at SXSW in 2018, Wolfe Herd stated, "What I originally wanted to do with Bumble is rewrite the Internet," attributing the company's success to its fundamental belief that women should be able to make the "first move" in romantic connections.<ref>{{cite web |title=SXSW 2018 Featured Speaker: Whitney Wolfe Herd in Conversation with Gayle King |url=https://sxsw.com/interactive/2018/sxsw-2018-featured-speaker-whitney-wolfe-herd-in-conversation-with-gayle-king-video/ |publisher=SXSW |date=2018 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Speaking at [[SXSW]] in 2018, Wolfe Herd described her broader ambitions for the platform: "What I originally wanted to do with Bumble is rewrite the Internet," she said, attributing the company's success to its fundamental belief that women should be empowered to make the first move in romantic connections.<ref>{{cite web |title=SXSW 2018 Featured Speaker: Whitney Wolfe Herd in Conversation with Gayle King |url=https://sxsw.com/interactive/2018/sxsw-2018-featured-speaker-whitney-wolfe-herd-in-conversation-with-gayle-king-video/ |publisher=SXSW |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Bumble grew rapidly following its launch. ''Forbes'' profiled the app in 2017, describing it as "America's Fastest-Growing Dating App" and noting that Wolfe Herd had built a significant business in a relatively short period of time.<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-11-14 |title=Billion-Dollar Bumble: How Whitney Wolfe Herd Built America's Fastest-Growing Dating App |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/11/14/billion-dollar-bumble-how-whitney-wolfe-herd-built-americas-fastest-growing-dating-app/#1cb7bf24248b |work=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The app expanded beyond dating to include modes for friendship (Bumble BFF) and professional networking (Bumble Bizz), reflecting Wolfe Herd's broader ambitions for the platform as a social networking tool rather than simply a dating application.
Bumble quickly grew into one of the most popular dating applications in the United States and expanded internationally. The app's design was credited with reducing instances of unsolicited and harassing messages that women commonly received on other platforms. The platform also expanded beyond romantic dating to include features for finding friends (Bumble BFF) and business networking (Bumble Bizz).<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-11-14 |title=Billion-Dollar Bumble: How Whitney Wolfe Herd Built America's Fastest-Growing Dating App |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/11/14/billion-dollar-bumble-how-whitney-wolfe-herd-built-americas-fastest-growing-dating-app/#1cb7bf24248b |work=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Wolfe Herd headquartered Bumble in [[Austin, Texas]], and built its brand identity around themes of women's empowerment and online safety.<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-03-18 |title=Bumble, the feminist dating app |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/fashion/bumble-feminist-dating-app-whitney-wolfe.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The company's marketing positioned it as a feminist alternative in the dating app market, a framing that ''The New York Times'' explored in a 2017 profile. ''Vanity Fair'' also profiled Wolfe and the app in 2015, noting its distinctive approach to online dating.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-08 |title=Bumble App: Whitney Wolfe |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/08/bumble-app-whitney-wolfe |work=Vanity Fair |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Wolfe Herd also used Bumble's platform to advocate for legislative change. She was involved in efforts in Texas to outlaw unsolicited sexually explicit images, a practice commonly referred to as "cyberflashing." Bumble's advocacy contributed to Texas passing legislation addressing the issue.<ref>{{cite news |title=Texas May Outlaw Unsolicited Sexual Images. Would That Be Enforceable—and Does It Even Matter? |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/texas-may-outlaw-unsolicited-sexual-images-would-that-be-enforceable-and-does-it-even-matter/ |work=Texas Monthly |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Under Wolfe Herd's leadership, Bumble also engaged in legislative advocacy. In Texas, the company supported efforts to outlaw the sending of unsolicited sexual images, a practice commonly referred to as "cyberflashing." The state of Texas subsequently passed legislation addressing this issue, a move that Bumble publicly supported and that Wolfe Herd championed as part of the company's mission to create safer online spaces.<ref>{{cite news |title=Texas may outlaw unsolicited sexual images. Would that be enforceable, and does it even matter? |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/texas-may-outlaw-unsolicited-sexual-images-would-that-be-enforceable-and-does-it-even-matter/ |work=Texas Monthly |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
=== Bumble IPO and Growth ===


=== Bumble IPO and Public Company Leadership ===
On February 11, 2021, Bumble Inc. went public on the [[Nasdaq]] stock exchange under the ticker symbol BMBL. The [[initial public offering]] was a landmark moment for both the company and for Wolfe Herd personally. At the time of the IPO, she was one of the youngest female CEOs to take a company public in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |date=2021-02-11 |title=Bumble IPO: CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd on BMBL stock, shares, and the app's initial public offering |url=https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Following the IPO, Wolfe Herd's personal stake in the company made her the youngest self-made female billionaire, according to reporting by Management Today and other publications.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd: How she became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire |url=https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471 |publisher=Management Today |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


On February 11, 2021, Bumble Inc. went public on the [[Nasdaq]] stock exchange under the ticker symbol BMBL. The [[initial public offering]] was a landmark event, and Wolfe Herd, then 31 years old, became one of the youngest women to take a company public in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |date=2021-02-11 |title=Bumble IPO: CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd |url=https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> ''Management Today'' reported that, following the IPO, Wolfe Herd became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire based on her ownership stake in the company.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Whitney Wolfe Herd became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire |url=https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471 |publisher=Management Today |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She held approximately 23 million shares of Bumble Inc.
The IPO demonstrated investor confidence in Bumble's business model, which by that time had grown beyond dating to encompass a broader social networking platform. Wolfe Herd described the public offering as a validation of the company's mission, telling Fortune that the moment was about much more than a financial milestone.<ref>{{cite news |date=2021-02-11 |title=Bumble IPO: CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd on BMBL stock, shares, and the app's initial public offering |url=https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Wolfe Herd served as CEO of Bumble following the IPO, guiding the company through its transition to a publicly traded entity. She later stepped away from the day-to-day CEO role before returning to the position. In May 2025, ''The New York Times'' reported on her return to running the company, noting that she had "returned to run the struggling company she founded" and said she had "a plan for getting Gen Z back."<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-05-10 |title='The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> This return came amid broader challenges facing the dating app industry, including declining engagement among younger users and growing skepticism about the role of dating apps in modern life.
=== Leadership Transition and Return ===


=== AI and the Future of Bumble ===
After leading Bumble as CEO through its IPO and subsequent growth phase, Wolfe Herd transitioned to the role of executive chair. However, by 2025, she had returned to the role of CEO amid challenges facing the dating app industry, particularly declining engagement among younger users, sometimes referred to as [[Generation Z]].<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-05-10 |title='The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> In a 2025 interview with ''The New York Times'', Wolfe Herd acknowledged the shifting landscape of dating apps and expressed her intent to revitalize the platform for a new generation of users. She reflected that when she co-founded Tinder, "the overwhelming feeling about apps and screens and tech in general was optimism," a sentiment she sought to recapture.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-05-10 |title='The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Following her return to the CEO role, Wolfe Herd signaled a strategic pivot toward [[artificial intelligence]] as a core component of Bumble's future. In August 2025, ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that Wolfe Herd had "a new idea for Bumble—and all our relationships," centered on the integration of AI into the platform's matching and relationship-building features.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-08-29 |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd Has a New Idea for Bumble—and All Our Relationships |url=https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble-ai-398779bb |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> In the same interview, Wolfe Herd made the candid admission that she "would never have swiped right on her husband," using this personal anecdote to argue that algorithmic and AI-driven matching could potentially produce better relationship outcomes than traditional swipe-based systems.
In an August 2025 interview with ''The Wall Street Journal'', Wolfe Herd discussed her evolving vision for Bumble, including integrating [[artificial intelligence]] into the platform to reshape how users form connections and relationships. She also disclosed a personal anecdote that she would never have swiped right on her own husband using traditional dating app mechanics, suggesting that many happy couples may not have found each other through the conventional matching systems that define modern dating apps.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-08-29 |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd Has a New Idea for Bumble—and All Our Relationships |url=https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble-ai-398779bb |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Wolfe Herd has also spoken publicly about wanting technology to address broader societal issues. ''Time'' magazine featured her in a conversation about using technology to combat loneliness, a topic she has increasingly centered in her public remarks about Bumble's mission and the future of social platforms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd Wants Technology to Cure Loneliness |url=https://time.com/collections/person-of-the-week-podcast/6289603/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview-person-of-the-week/ |publisher=Time |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In a separate conversation with ''Time'' magazine, Wolfe Herd articulated her broader goal of using technology to address what she described as a growing loneliness epidemic, positioning Bumble not merely as a dating app but as a tool for fostering meaningful human connections across multiple dimensions of life.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd Wants Technology to Cure Loneliness |url=https://time.com/collections/person-of-the-week-podcast/6289603/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview-person-of-the-week/ |publisher=Time |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Personal Life ==
== Personal Life ==


Whitney Wolfe married Michael Herd, adopting the surname Wolfe Herd. The couple have two children.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-05-10 |title='The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Wolfe Herd has been based in Austin, Texas, where Bumble is headquartered.
Whitney Wolfe Herd resides in [[Austin, Texas]], where Bumble is headquartered.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe — Austin Woman Magazine |url=https://atxwoman.com/whitney-wolfe/ |publisher=ATX Woman |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She has two children.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-05-10 |title='The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> In a 2025 interview with ''The Wall Street Journal'', she referenced her husband while discussing the limitations of swipe-based dating, noting she would not have matched with him using traditional dating app methods.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-08-29 |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd Has a New Idea for Bumble—and All Our Relationships |url=https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble-ai-398779bb |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Much of Wolfe Herd's personal narrative has been shaped by her public experience with the Tinder lawsuit and its aftermath. The ''Washington Post'' noted in 2015 that she "has had quite the year" but "just can't discuss parts of it," referencing the confidentiality terms of her legal settlement with Tinder.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-12-02 |title=Whitney Wolfe, founder of dating app Bumble, has had quite the year. She just can't discuss parts of it. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/02/whitney-wolfe-founder-of-dating-app-bumble-has-had-quite-the-year-she-just-cant-discuss-parts-of-it/ |work=The Washington Post |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Despite these constraints, Wolfe Herd has spoken openly about how the experience influenced both her personal outlook and her approach to building Bumble as a platform with a focus on women's safety and empowerment.
Wolfe Herd has spoken publicly about the personal toll of the Tinder lawsuit and its aftermath, which she has described as a difficult period that ultimately shaped her determination to build a company centered on safety and respect for women in digital spaces.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-12-02 |title=Whitney Wolfe, founder of dating app Bumble, has had quite the year. She just can't discuss parts of it. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/02/whitney-wolfe-founder-of-dating-app-bumble-has-had-quite-the-year-she-just-cant-discuss-parts-of-it/ |work=The Washington Post |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She has been based in Texas since her college years at SMU and has maintained a relatively private personal life outside of her professional public appearances.


== Recognition ==
== Recognition ==


Wolfe Herd has received significant recognition for her work in the technology industry. In 2018, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named her to its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People, placing her among a select group of business leaders, politicians, and cultural figures recognized for their global impact.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd: 2018 Time 100 |url=https://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217594/whitney-wolfe-herd/ |publisher=Time |date=2018 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Wolfe Herd has received recognition from multiple major media outlets for her role in reshaping the online dating industry and for her broader contributions to technology and women's empowerment.


In 2014, ''Business Insider'' included Wolfe on its list of the 30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Tech, a recognition that came even as she was in the midst of her departure from Tinder and the founding of Bumble.<ref>{{cite web |title=30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Tech |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/30-most-important-women-under-30-in-tech-2014-2014-8 |publisher=Business Insider |date=2014-08 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In 2018, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' named her to its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People, recognizing her impact on technology and social dynamics through Bumble.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd — TIME 100 Most Influential People 2018 |url=https://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217594/whitney-wolfe-herd/ |publisher=Time |date=2018 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The inclusion reflected the growing cultural significance of Bumble's "women first" model and Wolfe Herd's public profile as a technology executive.


NPR featured Wolfe Herd in an interview discussing her career trajectory and the founding of Bumble, bringing her story to a national radio audience.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd NPR Interview |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=557437086 |publisher=NPR |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In 2014, prior to founding Bumble, ''Business Insider'' included Wolfe on its list of the 30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Technology, recognizing her contributions at Tinder and her growing influence in the technology sector.<ref>{{cite web |title=30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Tech |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/30-most-important-women-under-30-in-tech-2014-2014-8 |publisher=Business Insider |date=2014 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Wolfe Herd's story has also entered popular culture. In September 2025, a dramatized account of her time at Tinder and the founding of Bumble was released as the film ''Swiped'' on Hulu. ''Time'' magazine published a detailed account of "The True Story Behind ''Swiped'', Whitney Wolfe Herd, and the Birth of Bumble," and ''Fortune'' noted that the film focused primarily on her Tinder years rather than the building of Bumble itself.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-09-19 |title=The True Story Behind Swiped, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and the Birth of Bumble |url=https://time.com/7314564/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble/ |work=Time |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2025-09-29 |title='Swiped' movie misses Bumble's story |url=https://fortune.com/2025/09/29/swiped-bumble-movie-tinder-whitney-wolfe-herd/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> ''Biography'' similarly profiled her in connection with the film, noting that she "helped launch the dating app revolution with Tinder" in 2012 before launching "a competitor: Bumble" two years later.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-09-22 |title=Whitney Wolfe Helped Make Tinder a Success. Then She Created Its Fiercest Competitor. |url=https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/a66106070/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble |work=Biography |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Forbes profiled Wolfe Herd in 2017 in a feature describing Bumble as "America's fastest-growing dating app," noting the company's rapid expansion and its unique market position.<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-11-14 |title=Billion-Dollar Bumble: How Whitney Wolfe Herd Built America's Fastest-Growing Dating App |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/11/14/billion-dollar-bumble-how-whitney-wolfe-herd-built-americas-fastest-growing-dating-app/#1cb7bf24248b |work=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


She has been profiled by numerous publications including ''[[The Washington Post]]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', ''[[Forbes]]'', ''[[Paper (magazine)|Paper]]'', and ''[[Grazia]]'', among others.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-10-23 |title=Meet Bumble chief executive Whitney Wolfe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-live/wp/2015/10/23/meet-bumble-chief-executive-whitney-wolfe/ |work=The Washington Post |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe: Bumble |url=http://www.papermag.com/whitney-wolfe-bumble-it-girls-1647547057.html |publisher=Paper |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe: Tinder to Bumble |url=https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/real-life/whitney-wolfe-tinder-bumble/ |publisher=Grazia |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Following the Bumble IPO in 2021, Management Today and other publications noted that Wolfe Herd had become the youngest self-made female billionaire, a distinction that generated significant media attention.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd: How she became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire |url=https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471 |publisher=Management Today |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
In 2025, a Hulu film titled ''Swiped'' dramatized elements of Wolfe Herd's story, focusing primarily on her time at Tinder. The film brought renewed public attention to her role in the founding of both Tinder and Bumble, though some commentators noted that the movie focused more heavily on the Tinder era than on Bumble's development.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-09-29 |title='Swiped' movie misses Bumble's story |url=https://fortune.com/2025/09/29/swiped-bumble-movie-tinder-whitney-wolfe-herd/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2025-09-19 |title=The True Story Behind Swiped, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and the Birth of Bumble |url=https://time.com/7314564/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble/ |work=Time |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


Whitney Wolfe Herd's career spans two of the most consequential developments in modern dating technology: the founding of Tinder, which mainstreamed the concept of mobile dating through swipe-based interaction, and the founding of Bumble, which introduced a model in which women initiate contact. Her trajectory from co-founding one of the most downloaded applications in the world, through a public sexual harassment lawsuit, to the creation of a competing platform that went public at a multi-billion dollar valuation has made her a frequently cited figure in discussions about women in technology, startup culture, and the intersection of feminism and business.
Whitney Wolfe Herd's career has been defined by her role in the creation of two of the most consequential dating applications of the 2010s and 2020s. As a co-founder of Tinder, she was part of the team that popularized swipe-based mobile dating and transformed the way millions of people initiate romantic connections. As the founder of Bumble, she introduced a structural innovation — women initiating contact — that influenced the design of numerous subsequent dating platforms and challenged established norms in the online dating industry.<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-03-18 |title=Bumble, the feminist dating app, is having a moment |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/fashion/bumble-feminist-dating-app-whitney-wolfe.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Bumble's "women make the first move" mechanic has been credited with shifting expectations around gender dynamics in online dating. The ''New York Times'' described Bumble in 2017 as a "feminist dating app," and the platform's approach has influenced the broader design philosophy of social applications aimed at creating safer environments for women.<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-03-18 |title=Bumble, the feminist dating app |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/fashion/bumble-feminist-dating-app-whitney-wolfe.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Bumble's model of empowering women to make the first move has been analyzed and discussed in the context of broader conversations about gender dynamics in technology and digital culture. The app's success demonstrated commercial viability for a product explicitly designed around feminist principles, a combination that had been viewed with skepticism by some investors and industry observers prior to Bumble's rapid growth.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-08 |title=Bumble app: Whitney Wolfe |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/08/bumble-app-whitney-wolfe |work=Vanity Fair |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Wolfe Herd's advocacy for legislation banning unsolicited sexual images in Texas represented an early example of a technology company working directly with state legislatures on issues of digital harassment, a model that has since been adopted by other companies and jurisdictions.<ref>{{cite news |title=Texas may outlaw unsolicited sexual images. Would that be enforceable, and does it even matter? |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/texas-may-outlaw-unsolicited-sexual-images-would-that-be-enforceable-and-does-it-even-matter/ |work=Texas Monthly |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Wolfe Herd's public advocacy for legislation against unsolicited explicit images contributed to concrete legislative outcomes in Texas and added a policy dimension to her work in the technology sector.<ref>{{cite news |title=Texas May Outlaw Unsolicited Sexual Images. Would That Be Enforceable—and Does It Even Matter? |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/texas-may-outlaw-unsolicited-sexual-images-would-that-be-enforceable-and-does-it-even-matter/ |work=Texas Monthly |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Her trajectory — from the Tinder sexual harassment lawsuit to the founding and IPO of Bumble — has been cited in media coverage as emblematic of broader patterns of women in the technology industry confronting systemic challenges and building alternatives.<ref>{{cite news |date=2022-09-22 |title=Whitney Wolfe Helped Make Tinder a Success. Then She Created Its Fiercest Competitor. |url=https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/a66106070/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble |work=Biography |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


As of 2025, with her return to the CEO role and her focus on integrating artificial intelligence into Bumble, Wolfe Herd continues to shape the direction of the online dating industry. Her public statements about technology's potential to address loneliness and improve human connection suggest a vision for the platform that extends beyond its origins as a dating application.
As of 2025, Wolfe Herd continues to shape the direction of Bumble, navigating the evolving landscape of dating technology, the integration of artificial intelligence, and the challenge of engaging a new generation of users who have grown skeptical of traditional dating apps.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-08-29 |title=Whitney Wolfe Herd Has a New Idea for Bumble—and All Our Relationships |url=https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble-ai-398779bb |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:Southern Methodist University alumni]]
[[Category:American technology executives]]
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Revision as of 00:44, 24 February 2026



Whitney Wolfe Herd
Wolfe Herd in 2018
Whitney Wolfe Herd
BornWhitney Wolfe
1 7, 1989
BirthplaceSalt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationEntrepreneur, business executive
Known forFounder of Bumble, co-founder of Tinder
EducationSouthern Methodist University (BA)
Children2

Whitney Wolfe Herd (née Wolfe; born July 1, 1989) is an American entrepreneur and business executive who founded the dating application Bumble, a platform that distinguished itself by requiring women to initiate conversation in heterosexual matches. Before launching Bumble, Wolfe Herd was a co-founder of the dating app Tinder, where she served as Vice President of Marketing and played a central role in the app's early growth and brand strategy.[1] Her departure from Tinder in 2014 was accompanied by a widely publicized sexual harassment lawsuit, after which she channeled her experiences into creating a new kind of social platform — one built around the principle that women should have the power to make the first move in online dating.[2] Bumble grew rapidly under her leadership, and when the company went public in February 2021, Wolfe Herd became one of the youngest women to take a company public on a U.S. stock exchange.[3] She holds approximately 23 million shares in Bumble Inc. and has served as the company's founder, CEO, and executive chair.[4]

Early Life

Whitney Wolfe was born on July 1, 1989, in Salt Lake City, Utah.[5] She grew up in the Salt Lake City area before eventually relocating to Texas for her higher education. Details about her family background and childhood remain relatively private; Wolfe Herd has spoken publicly in interviews primarily about her professional trajectory rather than her early upbringing.

While still a college student, Wolfe demonstrated entrepreneurial instincts. During her time at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, she launched a clothing line called Tender Heart, which sold bamboo tote bags and T-shirts to raise money for areas affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and other environmental causes.[6] The venture, though modest in commercial scale, attracted some attention and foreshadowed Wolfe's capacity for merging business ventures with social causes — a pattern that would define her later career.

Education

Wolfe Herd attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.[7] Her time at SMU was formative in shaping her approach to business and technology. It was during her college years that she launched her first entrepreneurial project, the Tender Heart clothing line, and began developing the social networking instincts that would later guide her work at Tinder and Bumble.[8] Her undergraduate education at SMU also placed her within the broader Dallas social scene, which played a role in the early development and testing of Tinder's platform, as the app gained early traction in part through college campus marketing strategies that Wolfe helped design.

Career

Tinder

After completing her studies at SMU, Wolfe joined the team that would build Tinder, one of the most influential mobile dating applications of the 2010s. She served as a co-founder and Vice President of Marketing at the company.[9] In that role, Wolfe was instrumental in popularizing Tinder among college students through a grassroots marketing strategy that involved visiting university campuses and encouraging students to download the app.[10] Wolfe's campus-centric approach helped Tinder achieve rapid user growth, particularly among young adults, and established the swipe-based dating model that would transform the industry.

However, Wolfe's tenure at Tinder ended acrimoniously. In June 2014, she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company, alleging that she had been subjected to sexist and harassing behavior by co-founder Justin Mateen and that she had been stripped of her co-founder title.[11] The lawsuit generated substantial media coverage and public attention, bringing broader conversations about sexism in the technology industry into sharp focus. In November 2014, the case was settled for a reported sum of just over $1 million, and Wolfe was bound by the terms of the settlement not to discuss certain details of the arrangement publicly.[12][13]

The experience at Tinder proved to be a turning point in Wolfe's career. Rather than retreating from the technology industry, she channeled the difficulties she had experienced into a new venture, one that would center the experiences of women in online dating.

Founding of Bumble

In 2014, shortly after leaving Tinder, Wolfe Herd founded Bumble, a dating application with a distinctive feature: in heterosexual matches, only the woman could initiate a conversation. This "women make the first move" model was designed to address some of the dynamics that Wolfe Herd had observed and experienced in both the online dating world and the technology industry more broadly.[14] In founding Bumble, Wolfe Herd partnered with Badoo founder Andrey Andreev, who provided funding and infrastructure through the company's parent entity.

Speaking at SXSW in 2018, Wolfe Herd described her broader ambitions for the platform: "What I originally wanted to do with Bumble is rewrite the Internet," she said, attributing the company's success to its fundamental belief that women should be empowered to make the first move in romantic connections.[15]

Bumble quickly grew into one of the most popular dating applications in the United States and expanded internationally. The app's design was credited with reducing instances of unsolicited and harassing messages that women commonly received on other platforms. The platform also expanded beyond romantic dating to include features for finding friends (Bumble BFF) and business networking (Bumble Bizz).[16]

Wolfe Herd also used Bumble's platform to advocate for legislative change. She was involved in efforts in Texas to outlaw unsolicited sexually explicit images, a practice commonly referred to as "cyberflashing." Bumble's advocacy contributed to Texas passing legislation addressing the issue.[17]

Bumble IPO and Growth

On February 11, 2021, Bumble Inc. went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol BMBL. The initial public offering was a landmark moment for both the company and for Wolfe Herd personally. At the time of the IPO, she was one of the youngest female CEOs to take a company public in the United States.[18] Following the IPO, Wolfe Herd's personal stake in the company made her the youngest self-made female billionaire, according to reporting by Management Today and other publications.[19]

The IPO demonstrated investor confidence in Bumble's business model, which by that time had grown beyond dating to encompass a broader social networking platform. Wolfe Herd described the public offering as a validation of the company's mission, telling Fortune that the moment was about much more than a financial milestone.[20]

Leadership Transition and Return

After leading Bumble as CEO through its IPO and subsequent growth phase, Wolfe Herd transitioned to the role of executive chair. However, by 2025, she had returned to the role of CEO amid challenges facing the dating app industry, particularly declining engagement among younger users, sometimes referred to as Generation Z.[21] In a 2025 interview with The New York Times, Wolfe Herd acknowledged the shifting landscape of dating apps and expressed her intent to revitalize the platform for a new generation of users. She reflected that when she co-founded Tinder, "the overwhelming feeling about apps and screens and tech in general was optimism," a sentiment she sought to recapture.[22]

In an August 2025 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Wolfe Herd discussed her evolving vision for Bumble, including integrating artificial intelligence into the platform to reshape how users form connections and relationships. She also disclosed a personal anecdote that she would never have swiped right on her own husband using traditional dating app mechanics, suggesting that many happy couples may not have found each other through the conventional matching systems that define modern dating apps.[23]

In a separate conversation with Time magazine, Wolfe Herd articulated her broader goal of using technology to address what she described as a growing loneliness epidemic, positioning Bumble not merely as a dating app but as a tool for fostering meaningful human connections across multiple dimensions of life.[24]

Personal Life

Whitney Wolfe Herd resides in Austin, Texas, where Bumble is headquartered.[25] She has two children.[26] In a 2025 interview with The Wall Street Journal, she referenced her husband while discussing the limitations of swipe-based dating, noting she would not have matched with him using traditional dating app methods.[27]

Wolfe Herd has spoken publicly about the personal toll of the Tinder lawsuit and its aftermath, which she has described as a difficult period that ultimately shaped her determination to build a company centered on safety and respect for women in digital spaces.[28] She has been based in Texas since her college years at SMU and has maintained a relatively private personal life outside of her professional public appearances.

Recognition

Wolfe Herd has received recognition from multiple major media outlets for her role in reshaping the online dating industry and for her broader contributions to technology and women's empowerment.

In 2018, Time named her to its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People, recognizing her impact on technology and social dynamics through Bumble.[29] The inclusion reflected the growing cultural significance of Bumble's "women first" model and Wolfe Herd's public profile as a technology executive.

In 2014, prior to founding Bumble, Business Insider included Wolfe on its list of the 30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Technology, recognizing her contributions at Tinder and her growing influence in the technology sector.[30]

Forbes profiled Wolfe Herd in 2017 in a feature describing Bumble as "America's fastest-growing dating app," noting the company's rapid expansion and its unique market position.[31]

Following the Bumble IPO in 2021, Management Today and other publications noted that Wolfe Herd had become the youngest self-made female billionaire, a distinction that generated significant media attention.[32]

In 2025, a Hulu film titled Swiped dramatized elements of Wolfe Herd's story, focusing primarily on her time at Tinder. The film brought renewed public attention to her role in the founding of both Tinder and Bumble, though some commentators noted that the movie focused more heavily on the Tinder era than on Bumble's development.[33][34]

Legacy

Whitney Wolfe Herd's career has been defined by her role in the creation of two of the most consequential dating applications of the 2010s and 2020s. As a co-founder of Tinder, she was part of the team that popularized swipe-based mobile dating and transformed the way millions of people initiate romantic connections. As the founder of Bumble, she introduced a structural innovation — women initiating contact — that influenced the design of numerous subsequent dating platforms and challenged established norms in the online dating industry.[35]

Bumble's model of empowering women to make the first move has been analyzed and discussed in the context of broader conversations about gender dynamics in technology and digital culture. The app's success demonstrated commercial viability for a product explicitly designed around feminist principles, a combination that had been viewed with skepticism by some investors and industry observers prior to Bumble's rapid growth.[36]

Wolfe Herd's public advocacy for legislation against unsolicited explicit images contributed to concrete legislative outcomes in Texas and added a policy dimension to her work in the technology sector.[37] Her trajectory — from the Tinder sexual harassment lawsuit to the founding and IPO of Bumble — has been cited in media coverage as emblematic of broader patterns of women in the technology industry confronting systemic challenges and building alternatives.[38]

As of 2025, Wolfe Herd continues to shape the direction of Bumble, navigating the evolving landscape of dating technology, the integration of artificial intelligence, and the challenge of engaging a new generation of users who have grown skeptical of traditional dating apps.[39]

References

  1. ↑ "Can Bumble's Whitney Wolfe be the queen of dating?".The Guardian.2015-04-12.https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/12/bumble-dating-app-women-call-shots-whitney-wolfe.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  2. ↑ "The True Story Behind Swiped, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and the Birth of Bumble".Time.2025-09-19.https://time.com/7314564/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  3. ↑ "Bumble IPO: CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd on BMBL stock, shares, and the app's initial public offering".Fortune.2021-02-11.https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  4. ↑ "'The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again?".The New York Times.2025-05-10.https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  5. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd: How she became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire".Management Today.https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  6. ↑ "SMU senior Whitney Wolfe launches second business, clothing line Tender Heart".SMU Daily Campus.http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/smu-senior-whitney-wolfe-launches-second-business-clothing-line-tender-heart.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  7. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd: How she became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire".Management Today.https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  8. ↑ "SMU senior Whitney Wolfe launches second business, clothing line Tender Heart".SMU Daily Campus.http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/smu-senior-whitney-wolfe-launches-second-business-clothing-line-tender-heart.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  9. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Helped Make Tinder a Success. Then She Created Its Fiercest Competitor.".Biography.2022-09-22.https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/a66106070/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  10. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe says goodbye to Tinder, hello to Bumble".Los Angeles Business Journal.2015-01-29.http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/jan/29/whitney-wolfe-says-goodbye-tinder-hello-bumble/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  11. ↑ "Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe and Sean Rad, Justin Mateen sexual harassment suit".Heavy.http://heavy.com/tech/2014/07/tinder-whitney-wolfe-sean-rad-justin-mateen-sexual-harassment-suit/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  12. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe settles sexual harassment Tinder lawsuit for $1 million".Business Insider.2014-11.https://www.businessinsider.com/whitney-wolfe-settles-sexual-harassment-tinder-lawsuit-1-million-2014-11.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  13. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe, founder of dating app Bumble, has had quite the year. She just can't discuss parts of it.".The Washington Post.2015-12-02.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/02/whitney-wolfe-founder-of-dating-app-bumble-has-had-quite-the-year-she-just-cant-discuss-parts-of-it/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  14. ↑ "Can Bumble's Whitney Wolfe be the queen of dating?".The Guardian.2015-04-12.https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/12/bumble-dating-app-women-call-shots-whitney-wolfe.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  15. ↑ "SXSW 2018 Featured Speaker: Whitney Wolfe Herd in Conversation with Gayle King".SXSW.https://sxsw.com/interactive/2018/sxsw-2018-featured-speaker-whitney-wolfe-herd-in-conversation-with-gayle-king-video/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  16. ↑ "Billion-Dollar Bumble: How Whitney Wolfe Herd Built America's Fastest-Growing Dating App".Forbes.2017-11-14.https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/11/14/billion-dollar-bumble-how-whitney-wolfe-herd-built-americas-fastest-growing-dating-app/#1cb7bf24248b.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  17. ↑ "Texas May Outlaw Unsolicited Sexual Images. Would That Be Enforceable—and Does It Even Matter?".Texas Monthly.https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/texas-may-outlaw-unsolicited-sexual-images-would-that-be-enforceable-and-does-it-even-matter/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  18. ↑ "Bumble IPO: CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd on BMBL stock, shares, and the app's initial public offering".Fortune.2021-02-11.https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  19. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd: How she became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire".Management Today.https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  20. ↑ "Bumble IPO: CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd on BMBL stock, shares, and the app's initial public offering".Fortune.2021-02-11.https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  21. ↑ "'The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again?".The New York Times.2025-05-10.https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  22. ↑ "'The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again?".The New York Times.2025-05-10.https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  23. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd Has a New Idea for Bumble—and All Our Relationships".The Wall Street Journal.2025-08-29.https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble-ai-398779bb.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  24. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd Wants Technology to Cure Loneliness".Time.https://time.com/collections/person-of-the-week-podcast/6289603/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview-person-of-the-week/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  25. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe — Austin Woman Magazine".ATX Woman.https://atxwoman.com/whitney-wolfe/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  26. ↑ "'The Interview': Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again?".The New York Times.2025-05-10.https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/magazine/whitney-wolfe-herd-interview.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  27. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd Has a New Idea for Bumble—and All Our Relationships".The Wall Street Journal.2025-08-29.https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble-ai-398779bb.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  28. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe, founder of dating app Bumble, has had quite the year. She just can't discuss parts of it.".The Washington Post.2015-12-02.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/02/whitney-wolfe-founder-of-dating-app-bumble-has-had-quite-the-year-she-just-cant-discuss-parts-of-it/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  29. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd — TIME 100 Most Influential People 2018".Time.2018.https://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217594/whitney-wolfe-herd/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  30. ↑ "30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Tech".Business Insider.2014.https://www.businessinsider.com/30-most-important-women-under-30-in-tech-2014-2014-8.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  31. ↑ "Billion-Dollar Bumble: How Whitney Wolfe Herd Built America's Fastest-Growing Dating App".Forbes.2017-11-14.https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/11/14/billion-dollar-bumble-how-whitney-wolfe-herd-built-americas-fastest-growing-dating-app/#1cb7bf24248b.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  32. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd: How she became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire".Management Today.https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/whitney-wolfe-herd-became-worlds-youngest-female-self-made-billionaire/women-in-business/article/1707471.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  33. ↑ "'Swiped' movie misses Bumble's story".Fortune.2025-09-29.https://fortune.com/2025/09/29/swiped-bumble-movie-tinder-whitney-wolfe-herd/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  34. ↑ "The True Story Behind Swiped, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and the Birth of Bumble".Time.2025-09-19.https://time.com/7314564/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  35. ↑ "Bumble, the feminist dating app, is having a moment".The New York Times.2017-03-18.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/fashion/bumble-feminist-dating-app-whitney-wolfe.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  36. ↑ "Bumble app: Whitney Wolfe".Vanity Fair.2015-08.http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/08/bumble-app-whitney-wolfe.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  37. ↑ "Texas May Outlaw Unsolicited Sexual Images. Would That Be Enforceable—and Does It Even Matter?".Texas Monthly.https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/texas-may-outlaw-unsolicited-sexual-images-would-that-be-enforceable-and-does-it-even-matter/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  38. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Helped Make Tinder a Success. Then She Created Its Fiercest Competitor.".Biography.2022-09-22.https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/a66106070/swiped-true-story-whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  39. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Herd Has a New Idea for Bumble—and All Our Relationships".The Wall Street Journal.2025-08-29.https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/whitney-wolfe-herd-bumble-ai-398779bb.Retrieved 2026-02-23.

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