Jensen Harris
Jensen Harris is the Founder of Expedition 60 and Co-Founder & Board Member, CTO Emeritus at Textio. He previously served as CEO, CTO, and CXO at Textio, and held leadership roles at Microsoft including Director of User Experience and Group Program Manager for Microsoft Office. Harris co-founded Textio, a startup founded in 2014, and is recognized for expertise in product development, design, engineering, and customer experience.
Textio Lays Off 15 Employees Amid Restructuring to Invest in Sales and Product Marketing Roles
Textio, a Seattle-based augmented writing startup, laid off 15 employees in a restructuring effort to invest in roles supporting its growing Feedback product, following earlier layoffs in 2023 and March 2024. The company, founded in 2014 and known for its AI-driven workplace language tools, is shifting focus toward sales and product marketing to meet increased demand for coaching and performance management support.
Tech Startups Shift to Profitability and Sustainable Growth Amid Tight 2023-2024 Venture Capital Market
Tech startups are shifting from growth-at-all-costs to focusing on profitability and efficient growth without relying on new investor funding amid tighter venture capital conditions and challenging market factors. This new approach, termed 'default alive,' emphasizes sustainable business models and cautious investment amid a decline in funding and more down rounds.
Textio Lays Off 14 Employees (16% of Staff) to Shift Focus to Bias-Reduction Product
Textio laid off 14 employees, 16% of its workforce, to restructure and focus on its Textio Lift product, which helps reduce bias in workplace language. The company, which has 71 employees and notable clients, has raised $42.5 million and recently underwent leadership changes.
Textio CEO Kieran Snyder Steps Down, Co-founder Jensen Harris Becomes CEO of Seattle AI Writing Startup
Kieran Snyder, co-founder and CEO of Seattle-based Textio, has stepped down to become chief scientist emeritus, with co-founder Jensen Harris taking over as CEO. Textio, founded in 2014, uses AI to reduce bias in workplace language and recently launched its fastest growing product, Textio Lift.
Textio Restructures with 15 Job Cuts to Support Growth and Emphasizes Growing Role of Generative AI
Textio, a Seattle-based augmented writing startup, restructured its team by eliminating 15 roles and realigning others to support growth in its two products following last year's launch of a performance management tool. CEO Kieran Snyder emphasized the increasing importance of generative AI in enhancing their writing platform as market expectations evolve.
Textio integrates inclusive-writing guidance into LinkedIn for enterprise customers, CEO Kieran Snyder says
Seattle startup Textio is integrating its augmented writing and inclusive-language guidance directly into LinkedIn, enabling enterprise customers and employees to get real-time suggestions while composing posts and comments on the platform. The move extends Textio’s post-2020 product expansion aimed at improving diversity, equity and inclusion across company communications and external social media.
Textio launches 'Textio for Employer Brand' to infuse DEI language across corporate messaging
Textio launched Textio for Employer Brand, an augmented-writing tool that guides companies to use more diverse, equitable and inclusive language across corporate messaging beyond job listings. The product, now exiting beta, aims to update guidance continuously and apply DEI-focused language suggestions to pages like 'About this company' and culture blog posts as firms rebuild and rehire after the pandemic.
Textio raises $12M as layoffs hit 20% of staff; Industry Ventures, Operator Collective join round
Seattle augmented-writing startup Textio raised $12 million from new investors including Industry Ventures and Operator Collective to expand beyond enterprise customers, after laying off 20% of staff amid COVID-19 uncertainty. CEO Kieran Snyder says the funding will help pivot the product to help candidates better express skills and values as remote written communication rises.
Seattle AI Startup Textio Lays Off 30 Employees Amid COVID-19, Shifts Focus to Aid Job Seekers
Seattle startup Textio laid off 30 employees, or 20% of its staff, due to COVID-19 uncertainty, leaving about 120 employees remaining. CEO Kieran Snyder emphasized shifting the company's AI writing technology focus to help job seekers better represent their skills amid a challenging labor market.
Textio raises new capital — SEC filing shows $7M infusion as company closes $12M round to expand writing platform
Seattle startup Textio closed a $12 million funding round and an SEC filing shows a $7 million cash infusion as it aims to expand its augmented-writing platform beyond enterprise hiring use cases.
Windows UX leader Jensen Harris leaves Microsoft to co‑found Textio, a language‑analysis startup
Jensen Harris, a 16-year Microsoft veteran who led Windows user experience, is leaving Microsoft to co‑found Textio, an early-stage Seattle startup that analyzes language to predict how well job listings or project descriptions will attract desired candidates or succeed. He and co‑founder Kieran Snyder (CEO) presented their plans after Harris announced his departure, saying his exit was personal and not driven by recent Windows 10 UI changes.
Organizations
-
Expedition 60 Founder 2026–present · current
-
Textio Co-Founder & Board Member, CTO Emeritus 2026–present, Executive Officer, Director 2017–present, CEO 2024–2026, CXO 2022–2024, CTO 2014–2022 · current
-
Microsoft Director, User Experience 2008–2014, Group Program Manager, Microsoft Office 1998–2008 · past
Education
-
Yale University B.A., Music
-
Interlochen Arts Academy Music composition, Music Composition, Performance
