Julia Hartz co-founded Eventbrite in 2006 with a bold vision: make ticketing accessible for anyone creating an event. Nearly two decades later, she’s still at the helm as CEO, having taken the company public in 2018 and steered it through one of the toughest crises imaginable—the pandemic, when live events disappeared overnight.
In this episode, Julia takes us behind the scenes of Eventbrite’s rise from scrappy startup to IPO, and the resilience it took to reinvent during COVID. She opens up about being co-founders with her husband, the challenges and rewards of leading as a solo CEO, and why she believes the future of gathering is brighter—and quirkier—than ever.
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Today, Sammi and Julia cover…
00:00 Julia Hartz’s Social Currency
02:09 Julia’s Early Career in TV
05:05 The Meet-Cute That Led to Eventbrite
08:44 Startup Model
25:58 Work-Life Balance?
32:24 Unlocking Productivity by Knowing Yourself
35:19 Transition to Solo CEO
37:49 Taking Eventbrite Public
43:43 Navigating the Pandemic
47:45 The Resurgence of In-Person Events
52:21 Trends and Quirky Subcultures in Events
57:36 Social Currency Corner
01:03:31 Eventbrite Challenge
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