Julia Hartz (Eventbrite) on Taking a Company Public, Leading Through Crisis and the Future of Live Events

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. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Start Sammi’s Eventbrite Challenge 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices