Julia Hartz, Eventbrite: From 27 Rejections to IPO and the Leadership Lessons That Followed

Join our ⁠Entreprenista League⁠ community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our ⁠website⁠ and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey! Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? ⁠Sign up ⁠here⁠⁠ for a free info session. Resources mentioned: “I became really enamored not necessarily with the technology but with the people hosting the events and bringing people together. That was just the root of our mission.” In this episode of The Entreprenista Podcast, Stephanie and Courtney sit down with Julia Hartz, co-founder and former CEO of Eventbrite, to unpack her extraordinary 20-year journey from aspiring ballerina to one of the few women to found and take a company public as CEO. Julia shares how a chance meeting with her future husband and co-founder led to the creation of Eventbrite, the lessons learned from 27 consecutive investor rejections, and how relentless curiosity, resilience, and customer obsession fueled the company's growth. Julia opens up about navigating some of the toughest moments in entrepreneurship—including leading Eventbrite through the COVID-19 pandemic when the company's revenue effectively disappeared overnight. She discusses the mindset shifts that helped her grow as a leader, the realities of raising capital, taking a company public, and the emotional process of stepping away following Eventbrite's acquisition. What We Talked About:The Journey of Julia Hartz [2:17]Building Eventbrite: Idea to Execution [15:31]Navigating Challenges During Covid [22:08]Leadership During Crisis [29:27]Taking Eventbrite Public [37:45]Life After the Sale [45:52] Connect with Julia:on Instagram Julia Hartz on LinkedIn Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TuneIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠iHeart Radio⁠⁠ Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.