Kabir Shahani
Kabir Shahani is currently Founder & Executive Chairman at Adora, Founder at Amp it Up Ventures, and Founder & CEO at Amperity. He previously founded Appature, which was acquired, and has held roles at Avanade, Blue Dot, IMS Health, and Mosaic.tech. He is a technology entrepreneur with expertise in founding and leading startups.
Prem Kumar - Co-Founder and CEO of Humanly
Prem Kumar is the Co-Founder and CEO of Humanly, a Bellevue-based hiring technology company built to fix something he saw up close: two people interviewing for the exact same job with the exact same panel getting treated completely differently. Before Humanly, Prem spent about a decade at Microsoft and led product and design at TinyPulse. Humanly went through Y Combinator and has raised roughly $52 million to date—most recently a $25 million Series B. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amperity Undertakes Layoffs Amid AI-Driven Operational Shift Under New Co-CEOs Shahani and Slager
Seattle-based customer data startup Amperity conducted unspecified layoffs as it shifts its operations toward increased artificial intelligence integration under new co-CEOs Kabir Shahani and Derek Slager. The company, with over 200 employees globally, aims to build a stronger AI-driven future following leadership changes including the CEO transition earlier in 2024.
Amperity Founders Derek Slager and Kabir Shahani Reassume Co-CEO Roles After Tony Owens' Departure in 2024
Amperity founders Derek Slager and Kabir Shahani have resumed co-CEO roles following the planned departure of former CEO Tony Alika Owens, aiming to drive growth amid rising AI demand. CFO Amy Kelleran Pelly also expands her role to president while retaining CFO duties.
Amperity Appoints New Co-CEO Alongside Kabir Shahani, Amy Kelleran Pelly Becomes President & CFO
Amperity announces new leadership with a co-CEO structure including Kabir Shahani and the author, while Amy Kelleran Pelly expands her role to President & CFO. The company focuses on leveraging AI-driven customer data infrastructure to enhance enterprise marketing capabilities.
How AI is Rewriting Software Engineering with Amperity CTO Derek Slager
In this episode of the Shift AI Podcast, Derek Slager, CTO and co-founder of Amperity, joins host Boaz Ashkenazy for a conversation that spans 10 years of company building, the evolution of AI-assisted software development, and what it really means to lead a technical organization through genuine disruption. Derek shares the founding story of Amperity, how he and co-founder Kabir Shahani stumbled into the customer data problem while building marketing automation at their previous company, Aperture, and how that experience became the thesis for building an entire platform around getting data right. The conversation moves into the heart of how…
Seattle's Adora Startup, Founded by Marco Matos and Kabir Shahani, Uses AI to Boost Marketing Efficiency for Major Brands
Seattle-based AI marketing startup Adora, co-founded by Marco Matos and Kabir Shahani in 2023, helps enterprise brands like Alaska Airlines and Brooks Running create and optimize marketing content faster and more efficiently. Adora's platform uses AI trained on each client's brand data to generate on-brand ad variations and measure performance across multiple channels.
Fuse leads $10M Seed in Avante to build AI-powered infrastructure for employer healthcare benefits
Fuse led a $10 million Seed round, joined by HighSage Ventures, in Avante—an infrastructure platform that centralizes benefits data and uses AI to help employers manage employee healthcare more efficiently. Avante, led by CEO Rohan D’Souza and co-founder Carly Eckert, plans to expand its team and hire five roles as it scales its platform to reduce administrative burden and improve benefits outcomes.
Expedia Appoints Scott Schenkel as CFO Amid C-Suite Changes; Ex-Microsoft AI VP Luis Vargas Launches AI Startup
Expedia Group appointed Scott Schenkel as its new CFO, succeeding Julie Whalen, amid broader executive changes including CEO Ariane Gorin's leadership. Meanwhile, former Microsoft AI VP Luis Vargas left to start a new AI startup as chief technologist.
Ex-Amperity CEO Kabir Shahani Steps Down and Launches Amp It Up Ventures After Amperity Hits $1 Billion Valuation
Kabir Shahani, former CEO and co-founder of Amperity, which reached a $1 billion valuation in 2021, has stepped down and is now focused on building startups through his new venture, Amp It Up Ventures. After leaving Amperity in 2022, he discusses his entrepreneurial journey and future plans on the Shift AI Podcast.
Building AI-Driven Ventures with Amp It Up Ventures Founder Kabir Shahani
In this illuminating episode of the Shift AI Podcast, serial entrepreneur Kabir Shahani joins Boaz Ashkenazy to discuss his journey from founding Amperity to launching Amp It Up Ventures. Shahani shares deep insights into building AI-powered enterprises and his unique approach to company creation through his new venture studio. He reveals details about two stealth companies, Adora and Avante, both tackling trillion-dollar markets with innovative AI solutions. From digital advertising to healthcare, Shahani explains how AI is fundamentally shifting business paradigms and why staying ahead of this transformation is crucial for modern enterprises. This episode offers invaluable lessons about entrepreneurship…
Former Salesforce Exec Tony Alika Owens Named CEO of $1B-Valued Customer Data Startup Amperity
Tony Alika Owens, a former Salesforce executive, was appointed CEO of Seattle-based customer data platform startup Amperity, which reached a $1 billion valuation in 2021. Owens plans to expand Amperity's AI-driven product offerings and target more technical users and smaller customers.
Seattle Startup Amperity Cuts 13% of Workforce Amid Industry Challenges Under Interim CEO Chris Jones
Seattle startup Amperity is laying off 13% of its workforce amid challenging economic conditions impacting the enterprise software industry, following previous layoffs in recent years. The company aims to prioritize its go-to-market strategy and operational efficiency under interim CEO Chris Jones.
Amperity CEO Barry Padgett to step down June 1; Chris Jones named interim CEO, Padgett to become adviser
Amperity CEO Barry Padgett is stepping down effective June 1 to spend more time with family and will become an adviser, with chief customer and product officer Chris Jones named interim CEO; the company has no timeline for a permanent replacement. Padgett became CEO in 2022 after co-founder Kabir Shahani left and previously served as Amperity COO and Stripe CRO, while Shahani has since co-founded Avante.
Avante Raises $10 Million Seed Round Led by FUSE; Kellan Carter to Join Board
Avante, a stealth Seattle startup led by former OliveAI executives Rohan D’Souza and Carly Eckert, raised $10 million in seed funding led by Bellevue-based FUSE with participation from Ascend Venture Capital, Highsage and angel investors. The funding will accelerate product development, expand engineering and data science teams, and FUSE’s Kellan Carter will join Avante’s board as the company scales after beginning development in fall 2023.
Seattle Startup Avante Raises $10M Seed Round Led by Fuse Venture Partners with Ex-Olive AI and Amperity Leaders
Seattle startup Avante, led by former Olive AI and Amperity executives, raised $10 million in a seed round led by Fuse Venture Partners to build an employee intelligence platform focused on healthier workforces. The company remains in stealth mode without detailed public disclosures about its plans.
Amperity cuts 13 roles (3% of staff) amid reorganization while planning continued hires and investments
Seattle customer-intelligence startup Amperity laid off 13 employees (about 3% of its 375-person workforce), primarily from its talent acquisition team, while saying it will continue hiring and invest in growth. CEO Barry Padgett attributed the cuts to organizational alignment with strategic growth plans; the company became a unicorn in July 2021 after a $100 million raise and values at $1 billion.
Former Amperity CEO Kabir Shahani Resigned From CEO Role and Board Last Week, Says He Left Voluntarily
Kabir Shahani unexpectedly resigned as CEO of Seattle marketing tech startup Amperity last week and has also left the company’s board; he told GeekWire he left voluntarily for personal reasons while Amperity executives have not publicly commented.
Amperity co-founder Kabir Shahani exits as CEO; COO Barry Padgett named successor
Amperity co-founder and CEO Kabir Shahani stepped down and was replaced by COO Barry Padgett, as the Seattle customer-data startup — valued at over $1 billion last year — also named Monica Pool Knox as its first chief people officer.
Amperity CEO and co-founder Kabir Shahani steps down; Barry Padgett named CEO as company scales after $100M round
Amperity CEO and co-founder Kabir Shahani has relinquished the CEO title seven months after the company raised $100 million and reached unicorn status; president and COO Barry Padgett becomes CEO and Monica Pool Knox is named chief people officer. The company called 2021 a record year, offered no explanation for Shahani's departure, and said it will focus on scaling its customer-data software business.
GeekWire updates Seattle list as Highspot raises $248M at $3.5B; SeekOut and Icertis added to 16 local unicorns
GeekWire updated its list of Seattle-area 'unicorn' startups (privately held companies valued at $1B+) after additions and a valuation change for Icertis, noting recent entrants like SeekOut and Highspot, which raised $248 million at a $3.5 billion valuation. The article highlights that the Seattle cohort includes 16 unicorns, none led by a female or Black CEO, and that many CEOs have Microsoft backgrounds amid a global surge in unicorns and venture funding.
Relevvo raises $1.5M seed to power personalized B2B sales messaging from Microsoft and LinkedIn veterans
Seattle startup Relevvo, founded by veterans from Microsoft, LinkedIn and other firms, raised a $1.5 million seed round to sell a B2B ‘relevance engine’ that delivers personalized sales messaging at scale to replace ‘spray and pray’ outreach. The seven-person company counts customers like iSpot, Esper, Hiya and CourseKey and was founded by Aashish Dhamdhere and Tushar Shanbhag.
Amperity raises $100M Series D, becomes Seattle’s newest unicorn with $187M total funding
Seattle-based marketing startup Amperity raised $100 million in a Series D round, valuing it above $1 billion and bringing its total funding to $187 million. The company’s customer data platform helps brands like Alaska Airlines, Kroger and Starbucks unify fragmented first-party customer data to improve targeted marketing amid cookie restrictions and rising digital adoption.
Amperity Adds Ciara to Board to Lead Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Initiatives
Seattle-based customer data platform Amperity appointed Grammy-winning singer and entrepreneur Ciara to its board to lead corporate social responsibility efforts and advise on community initiatives.
Qumulo names ex-AWS Janine Corey cloud CTO; Elissa Fink joins Conversica board; Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson joins Amperity board
Seattle startup Qumulo hired Janine Corey as cloud CTO after five years at Amazon Web Services; the company is valued at $1.2 billion and raised $125 million earlier this year. Former Tableau CMO Elissa Fink joined Conversica’s board and Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson joined Amperity’s board, reflecting several executive moves among Seattle-area tech firms.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson Joins Board of Seattle Customer-Data Startup Amperity
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is joining the board of Seattle customer-data startup Amperity, which provides software to connect disparate customer data for targeted marketing and counts clients like Alaska Airlines, Patagonia and Kroger; Starbucks was an early adopter of Amperity.
Organizations
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Amperity Founder, Co-CEO, & Board of Directors 2026–present, Founder & Board of Directors 2016–present, Founder & CEO, Former CEO, Former Board Member · current
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University of Washington Affiliate Professor 2024–present · current
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Adora Founder & Executive Chairman 2023–present · current
Education
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University of Washington Bachelor of Science, Informatics · 2004
