Whitney Wolfe Herd was born on January 7, 1989, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to parents Kelly Wolfe, a Catholic, and Michael Wolfe, a wealthy Jewish property developer. Growing up, she displayed an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for giving back to her community.
Whitney attended Southern Methodist University, where she pursued a degree in international studies and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. It was during her time in college that she first demonstrated her knack for business by selling bamboo tote bags to raise funds for areas impacted by the BP oil spill.
After graduating, Whitney dove into the world of startups, joining the team at Cardify in 2012. However, the venture was short-lived, and she eventually found herself working on the development team for the popular dating app Tinder.
In 2014, Whitney left Tinder and was approached by Andrey Andreev, the founder of Badoo, to collaborate on a new dating platform. This partnership led to the creation of Bumble, a female-focused online dating service that empowers women to make the first move.
In February 2021, Whitney made history as the world's youngest self-made female billionaire when Bumble went public. At just 31 years old, she became the youngest woman to take a company public, cementing her status as a trailblazing entrepreneur.
In 2013, Whitney met Michael Herd, an oil and gas heir, while on a skiing trip in Aspen. The couple tied the knot in 2017, and in December 2019, they welcomed their first child. Whitney's journey to success has been supported by her loving family, and she continues to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs around the world.