On Wednesday, February April 10th, 2021, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd gave a powerful speech at the company’s initial public offering. This momentous occasion marked the first time a major dating app has gone public, and it was an inspiring moment for women in tech and business leadership.
In her speech, Wolfe Herd discussed her journey to founding Bumble, the opportunities the company provides its millions of users, and her goals for its future. She encapsulated what Bumble is all about — creating meaningful connections through respect and empowerment — and positioned it at the forefront of modern society’s shifting attitudes towards relationships.
With this IPO launch, Wolfe Herd is setting an example for entrepreneurs everywhere; not only did she create an incredibly successful business out of an idea that seemed risky at the time — she helped shift public opinion on dating apps to see them as legitimate paths towards happiness rather than hallmarks of desperation.
Bumble Goes Public: Read CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd’s IPO Speech
Whitney Wolfe Herd had a unique background in becoming a CEO. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, she grew up in an entrepreneurial family and was inspired to start her businesses at a young age. She attended Southern Methodist University, majoring in International Studies, focusing on the Middle East & North Africa.
While at SMU, she noticed one recurring problem among her peers—lack of control and respect in online and offline dating environments. So, in 2013, Whitney launched the dating app Bumble which soon became wildly popular due to her patented “Women Message First” feature allowing women to take charge when reaching out to matches. This groundbreaking innovation made Bumble the leading dating option for women who wanted greater confidence in navigating their love lives.
In 2021, four years after initially launching Bumble and just two weeks ahead of its public offering, Whitney characterised her journey from college entrepreneur to CEO as “an incredible ride” fueled by “determination and resilience.” With Bumble going public, Whitney looked to inspire generations of young female entrepreneurs on their paths forward: “To become an entrepreneur is no easy feat—it means pushing yourself past fear and failure but also through self-doubt. It’s about belief — believing in yourself even when nobody else does”.
Bumble’s IPO
On February 11, 2021, Bumble became a publicly listed company and is now ready to take its business to the next level. The company made history as it became the first major female-founded company to go public in the United States.
As part of the initial public offering, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd made a speech highlighting her company’s journey and its future path. This article will look closely at what she had to say.
Bumble’s IPO Process
Today marks a major milestone for Bumble as we become a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq Global Market. After having been an exclusive, members-only app since our launch in 2014, it’s with great excitement that Bumble takes this step into the spotlight. We’ve achieved incredible success and growth in our 6 year history and today is a momentous occasion for us both as a business and as part of the larger tech community.
This journey didn’t happen overnight – though we may sometimes appear to move quickly (far enough, fast enough), years of hard work, collaboration, and learning drove us to reach this big day. We accomplished many important things over the last 6 years – from launching multiple products in new markets to developing unique features unique to Bumble that enhance users experience; additionally, we were recently named one of the best places to work by Glassdoor! I stand here with deep gratitude toward all who have helped us reach this point.
So why an IPO? The goal is to secure capital for funding our growth initiatives while enabling customers, employees and investors alike to participate in our success. We are now closer than ever to achieving full connection between men and women worldwide – exemplifying true gender harmony in ways traditionally not seen from technology companies. Paving this way requires previously unavailable resources through venture capital or private investments–hence our decision to go public via an IPO today! This gives us access to both public markets through which stock can be bought & sold and passive income from dividends if you own Bumble shares directly or through ETFs. This type of financial resource is necessary for any company looking forward–without it businesses simply can’t achieve their goals & objectives; thus providing these options was always part of our longer term roadmap.
I want everyone involved in helping shape & build Bumble over the past 6 years—whether they be customers, team members or any other partner involved—to know that they played no small role until this point & will continue to contribute even more going forward! Thank you again for being part of making today possible & welcoming us into positions of power like never before!
Bumble’s IPO Speech
Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble’s founder and CEO, has made her debut public appearance as the company heads for its IPO launch. In an inspiring speech that has now been making rounds on the global market, Ms. Wolfe Herd said, “Asking people to stay hopeful and strong despite the tribulations of 2020 are not easy words to say — but I do think that is what we need right now.”
The speech primarily focused on how Bumble was founded five years ago with a mission opposite to most dating platforms — to create a kinder and more accountable internet. In her words, “We’ve built a hive of strength, respect and equality” that puts power into women’s hands; empowering them to make equal connections while unleashing their “generosity and selflessness”.
Ms. Wolfe Herd spoke about achieving success without compromising Bumble’s values which revolve around creating a safe user environment and prioritising kindness first. And although it may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, she believes that establishing equitable relationships between people is key in preserving civil society at large — something she feels is essential today more than ever before.
Ultimately, Ms. Wolfe Herd wanted her speech to encourage everyone who needs it — from investors to small businesses — so they can find comfort knowing that courage leads you forward even in times of great doubt: “Do not allow fear or uncertainty control your future or stop you from becoming what you believe in deeply within your heart”.
Main Points of the Speech
On February 11, 2021, Bumble went public. In her speech, CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd shared her vision for the company’s future and her appreciation for the team that helped bring this dream to fruition.
Let’s look at some of the main points from the speech.
Bumble’s Mission
Whitney Wolfe Herd, the CEO of Bumble, spoke at the company’s public offering on February 11, 2021. She highlighted a few key points defining Bumble’s mission during her speech. First, Wolfe Herd wanted to ensure that everyone listening knew why Bumble exists and how it seeks to be different.
She began her address by discussing the importance of connection and how technology can facilitate it. She explained, “We have seen billions of connections created over the past four years” due to Bumble’s efforts—connections between friends, romantic partners, employers, and employees. She also stated that Bumble has worked hard to prioritise safety—fostering trust between users through its verification system and providing options for reporting inappropriate behaviour or blocking users who are acting unwelcomely.
Wolfe Herd described how Bumble seeks to empower women by changing the gender rules within relationships. She discussed its zero-tolerance policy regarding exhibiting behaviours such as sending unsolicited suggestive messages or photos ― ensuring women feel comfortable connecting with others on their platform. Additionally, she noted its Women’s Safety setting for those who choose not to share contact information until they feel safe doing so.
Furthering her discussion on empowerment through tech, Wolfe Herd mentioned Bumble’s involvement in helping organisations like All Raise foster growth within female-led startups throughout the industry through their “Bumble Fund.” Lastly ― but certainly not least ― was her focus on diversity across all company areas ― from development initiatives and marketing campaigns designed for diverse communities to hiring practices pushing for more diversity in organisational leadership.
Bumble’s Impact
When Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd founded the company as a dating service, she knew it would help solve a problem. She wanted to provide a safe and empowering space for people to come together, build relationships and make connections. As her business grew, so did her vision. In her speech Bumble Goes Public: Read CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd’s IPO Speech, the CEO discussed why she believes Bumble is more than just an app.
In the speech, Wolfe Herd explained that Bumble has uniquely created and maintained a sense of connection on its platform for its users. Through features like “startups as matches” and “hobbies in common” users can connect more easily than on other dating services. She noted further that the conversations happening on Bumble are not limited to finding dates. Rather, people are using it as an avenue for meaningful conversations about issues that matter most to them like equal pay for women, showing support for small business owners or providing resources for those in need during crises like Covid-19.
In addition to creating connection within its networking environment, Wolfe Herd also highlighted how Bumble’s impact extends beyond online interactions — into real world events such as its Be The Change Conferences which offer free education on professional development topics such as leadership skills and financial literacy; the She Provides initiative which allows users to match their donations to small businesses in need; or through partnerships with government entities such as the Killy Health Department where they can help bring awareness of healthcare options available in local communities. With these initiatives and many others, Bumble is proving it can go beyond traditional dating apps–creating meaningful connections and empowerment pathways between individuals everywhere.
Bumble’s Future
At the heart of Bumble’s mission is empowering women in and out of the workplace. In her public offering speech, CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd outlined the company’s future as it stands to become a publicly traded company. In addition, she discussed how Bumble aims to use its platform to provide support and education for female entrepreneurs and innovators, create safe spaces for users to interact, and drive change within our communities on issues of gender inequality.
Wolfe Herd emphasised that Bumble is more than just a dating app; it is an active network with productive and purpose-driven goals. As part of its intention to create meaningful connections, Wolfe Herd shared that the company plans to expand beyond romantic relationships. Examples include launching BumbleBiz as a business matching platform and extending its mentorship program globally, which will assist in providing opportunities for female entrepreneurs in smaller-scale sectors worldwide.
As she wraps up her IPO speech, Wolfe Herd states “I hope you will join us today in supporting Bumble’s listing -not just because It means so much progress for our business but because we believe we have an opportunity do something much larger than ourselves -spread love, build community, promote safety online and ultimately empower more people through our mission.” Ultimately this emphasis on equality has been reflected throughout all aspects of how Bumble operates and continues to move forward with important initiatives such as this one.
Conclusion
Whitney Wolfe Herd closed her speech, leaving everyone with a few meaningful words and life lessons. “There is no POWER in perfection, only power in bravery,” and “Don’t forget to celebrate the small victories everyday.”
The IPO marks a new phase for Bumble that brings even more opportunity for the company and those who use it, but with it comes responsibility. Whitney speaks of Bumble continuing to “protect and embolden our users” while leading the way in digital empowerment and personal accountability.
It was an inspiring speech that offered moto.
Tech expert fresh from the Australian Coast. Been in the tech industry more than 9 years, as part of a Business Growth Group. His out of office days are 100% for freestyle surfing and waves chasing.
