Avid Larizadeh Duggan

Larizadeh Duggan was born in Dallas, Texas, right before the Iranian Revolution. She has a sister, Roxanna Larizadeh. They are the grandchildren of Kazem Khosrowshahi, the cofounder of pharmaceutical conglomerate KBC – a company nationalized in 1980 after the Iranian Revolution. Kazem Khosrowshahi entered politics in August 1977 as Minister of Commerce, but his tenure was short lived due to the Revolution.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ixU33FaG_dgC&dq=Kazem+Khosrowshahi&pg=PA640|title=Eminent Persians|last=Milani|first=Abbas|date=2008|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=9780815609070|language=en}} Larizadeh Duggan's father, also an entrepreneur, and her mother had to leave Iran in 1979 and start over in Europe where they immigrated. Larizadeh Duggan and her sister grew up in Paris, France.

Larizadeh Duggan attended L’Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel before studying at Stanford University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2000 and master's degree in 2001 both in engineering. While at Stanford, Larizadeh Duggan was a Mayfield Fellow and a Member of Stanford's Women Honor Society, Cap and Gown.{{Cite web|url=http://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford20000609-01.2.28.2&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------|title=The Stanford Daily 9 June 2000 — The Stanford Daily|website=stanforddailyarchive.com|access-date=2017-05-16}}

Larizadeh Duggan also has an MBA from Harvard Business School where she graduated in 2006.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alumni.hbs.edu/stories/Pages/story-bulletin.aspx?num=2514|title=New Art - Alumni - Harvard Business School|date=September 2005 |access-date=2017-05-16}}

While studying at Stanford University, she worked for Linkexchange (acquired by Microsoft in 1998) and Tellme Networks (Acquired by Microsoft in 2007).{{Cite news|url=http://www.inspiringfifty.com/hall-of-fame/|title=Hall of Fame - Inspiring fifty|work=Inspiring fifty|access-date=2017-05-16|language=en-US}}

After graduating from Stanford, she joined eBay on the product management team.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=DFJ Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Program |url=https://web.stanford.edu/class/msande472/handouts/0304_aut/ETL%20Handout%20-%20Oct%2029.pdf |access-date= |website=}}{{Dead url|date=September 2024}} She launched eBay's first suite of global online selling tools, Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro, for which she holds a patent.{{Cite web|url=http://patents.justia.com/inventor/avid-larizadeh|title=Avid Larizadeh Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search|website=patents.justia.com|language=en|access-date=2017-05-16}} She also led the design and launch of eBay's picture services.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=31310662&privcapId=54497244|title=Avid Larizadeh Duggan: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2017-05-16}}

While at Harvard Business School, she also worked in product management at Skype Technologies. In 2006 after graduating from Harvard Business School, she joined Accel Partners in London as an Associate where she focused on software and Internet investments.

She left Accel Partners in 2009 to cofound Boticca, a global marketplace for independent brands of fashion accessories, where she was the COO, running product, engineering and editorial. Boticca was featured in Vogue, selected by Lady Gaga for her 2011 European tour, and worn by Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Alba. Boticca was acquired by Wolf & Badger.

In 2014 Larizadeh Duggan joined Google Ventures{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/07/10/google-ventures-london/|title=Google Ventures Opens London Office As A Base For Investing $100M Across Europe|last=Lomas|first=Natasha|website=TechCrunch|date=10 July 2014 |access-date=2017-05-16}} (now GV) as the only female General Partner when GV launched its European fund.{{Cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2016/10/26/google-gv-avid-larizadeh-duggan/|title=Meet Avid Larizadeh Duggan, GV's Only Female General Partner|website=Fortune|access-date=2017-05-16}} She was an investor, director and advisor to a variety of businesses, most in the software and Internet domain, including Kobalt, Lost My Name, Yieldify, Resolution Games and Breather.

In February 2018, she left GV to join Kobalt, one of her portfolio companies as EVP Group, Chief Strategy and Business Officer.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/11/avid-larizadeh-duggan-gvs-sole-female-gp-leaves-to-join-music-tech-startup-kobalt/|title=Avid Larizadeh Duggan, GV's sole female GP, leaves to join music tech startup Kobalt – TechCrunch|website=techcrunch.com|date=11 January 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-26}} She now serves as Chief Operating Officer.

Larizadeh Duggan was appointed as a non-executive director of [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/11/30/barclays-hires-alphabet-timpson-bosses-board-uk-ring-fenced/ Barclays UK] in 2017.{{Cite news |last=Arnold |first=Martin |date=30 November 2017 |title=Barclays announces eclectic board for new ringfenced bank |website=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/43efcdaf-bd87-37cb-9b82-4dc7f2e1ccbf |url-access=subscription |access-date=2017-12-12}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/11/30/barclays-hires-alphabet-timpson-bosses-board-uk-ring-fenced/|title=Barclays hires Alphabet and Timpson bosses for board of UK ring-fenced bank|last=Withers|first=Iain|date=2017-11-30|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2017-12-12|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}

In 2016 she was named one of the World Economic Forum's "Young Global Leaders".{{Cite web|url=https://www.weforum.org/press/2016/03/meet-the-young-innovators-driving-fourth-industrial-revolution/|title=Meet the Young, Tech-Savvy, Civic-Minded Innovators Driving The Fourth Industrial Revolution|website=World Economic Forum|access-date=2017-05-16}}

Larizadeh Duggan has been named one of the 50 most inspiring female influencers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, academics and policy makers from across Europe three years in a row from 2015 to 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://www.inspiringfifty.com/europe2016/|title=Inspiring Fifty Europe 2016 - Inspiring fifty|work=Inspiring fifty|access-date=2017-05-16|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.inspiringfifty.com/inspiring-fifty-europe-2017/|title=Inspiring Fifty: Europe 2017 - Inspiring fifty|work=Inspiring fifty|access-date=2017-05-16|language=en-US}} She has been named as “one of the most influential European female VCs” by Tech.eu{{Cite news|url=http://tech.eu/features/8849/european-female-vcs/|title=Women (who invest) in tech: a list of some of the most influential European female VCs - Tech.eu|date=2016-03-08|work=Tech.eu|access-date=2017-05-16|language=en-US}} “one of the 50 most influential women in UK IT” by Computer Weekly.{{Cite news|url=http://www.computerweekly.com/news/4500249362/Computer-Weekly-reveals-the-50-most-influential-women-in-UK-IT-2015|title=Computer Weekly reveals the 50 most influential women in UK IT 2015|work=ComputerWeekly|access-date=2017-05-16|language=en-GB}}

In 2019, she was appointed Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the economy, business and education.{{cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802928/2019_Honorary_awards_V1.odt|title=Honorary British Awards to Foreign Nationals – 2019}}

In 2020, she was asked by the then Prime Minister of the UK, Theresa May, to jointly lead a study on the competitiveness of the UK's tech sector.{{Cite web|title=PM celebrates UK tech industry at London Tech Week|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-celebrates-uk-tech-industry-at-london-tech-week|access-date=2021-06-16|website=GOV.UK|language=en}} The report was published in May 2021.{{Cite web|title=UK Tech Competitiveness Study|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-tech-competitiveness-study/uk-tech-competitiveness-study|access-date=2021-06-16|website=GOV.UK|language=en}} In 2025, she was appointed to the UK Council for Science and Technology (CST), which advises the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on strategic science and technology policy issues that cut across government departments. {{Cite web |title=Eight new members appointed to the Council for Science and Technology |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/eight-new-members-appointed-to-the-council-for-science-and-technology |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}

In 2021, she joined Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan as managing director of their Innovation Platform EMEA. {{Cite web|date=2021-09-07|title=Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan appoints EMEA Managing Director|url=http://www.institutionalassetmanager.co.uk/2021/09/07/305729/ontario-teachers-pension-plan-appoints-emea-managing-director|access-date=2021-09-13|website=www.institutionalassetmanager.co.uk|language=en}}

Larizadeh Duggan has been involved with various organizations linked to education. She is on the Harvard Business School European Advisory Board.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/09/25/disrupt-in-london-to-showcase-new-google-ventures-europe-partners/|title=Disrupt In London To Showcase New Google Ventures Europe Partners|last=Butcher|first=Mike|website=TechCrunch|date=25 September 2014 |access-date=2017-05-16}} She is also on the Board of Trustees of Founders4Schools.{{Cite web|url=https://www.founders4schools.org.uk/about/trustees/avid-larizadeh/#/|title=Founders4Schools|website=www.founders4schools.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-05-16}}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} She led Code.org{{Cite news|url=https://uk.code.org/about|title=The UK Hour of Code is here|work=Code.org|access-date=2017-05-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528042053/https://uk.code.org/about|archive-date=2016-05-28|url-status=dead}} in the UK, founded by her cousins Hadi and Ali Partovi, and helped over 13 million people try an hour of code in the UK.{{Cite news|url=http://www.computerweekly.com/news/4500259896/Disney-joins-Hour-of-Code-to-teach-young-people-coding-skills|title=Disney joins Hour of Code to teach young people coding skills|work=ComputerWeekly|access-date=2017-05-16|language=en-GB}} She has contributed to Forbes{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/avidlarizadeh/|title=Avid Larizadeh|last=Larizadeh|first=Avid|website=Forbes|access-date=2017-05-17}} and the World Economic Forum.{{Cite web|url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/avid-larizadeh-duggan|title=Avid Larizadeh Duggan - Agenda Contributor {{!}} World Economic Forum|website=World Economic Forum|access-date=2017-05-17}}

She lives in London with her husband and two daughters.

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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Harvard Business School alumni

Category:Businesspeople from Dallas

Category:Stanford University alumni

Category:Technology company founders

Category:Honorary officers of the Order of the British Empire