Whitney Wolfe Herd Reflects on Parenthood

In a new interview with Time, the Bumble CEO discusses the balance between leading an online dating giant while also being the mother of two children under four years old. 

Wolfe Herd founded Bumble after the birth of her first son Bobby, but now leads the company with nine month old Henry joining the family too. When asked how she’s coping, she half-jokingly responded “I’m not scared of anyone in business. But I’m scared of my 3-year-old”.

She states that becoming a mother gave her a new perspective on her work with Bumble. While she was focused on improving or changing the world for women today, it made her realise there is a next generation of people to consider as well.

On her own maternity leave, she explained that the birth of Henry came about as the conflict in Ukraine began. This meant that she was working to move developers in Russia to Dubai as she was going into labour.

Part of the experience of not having enough maternity leave herself means that she values her employees having the option of six-month paid family leave. 

“I really don’t like the term “working mom.” I think every mother is a “working mom.” There is not a mom out there that is not working. It is a full time job keeping a child or multiple children healthy, happy, and thriving”, she told Time.