| Valerie Stark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1986 (age 37–38) Moscow, Russia |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | CEO, Co-founder of Huggle |
Valerie Stark (born 1986) is an entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the co-founder and CEO of the mobile app Huggle. Stark is also a board member at Bumble and an advisor to Badoo.
Early life
Stark was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. At the age of 15, she began working as a secretary for a technology company. Stark studied interior design and paid for the education herself.
Career
Prior to founding Huggle, Stark blogged about gardening and worked in a managerial position for one of the largest restaurant business in Moscow where she was known for her role in the company's European and UK expansion. After moving to London from Moscow, she found it hard to make friends and began using her familiarity with Instagram's geolocation feature to find people with common interests. She met Stina Sanders using this technique and the two women eventually founded Huggle based around Stark's idea of connecting people who visit the same locations. Stark is considered a feminist entrepreneur. In 2018, she was named one of the Top 30 Female Entrepreneurs in the UK to Watch in 2018 by About Time magazine.
References
- Amelia Heathman (4 May 2018). "Co-founders of dating app Huggle on their mission to change social media, one app at a time". Evening Standard.
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- McManus, Kate (29 October 2016). "'Appily Ever After: Valerie Stark and Stina Sanders". SheBoom. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- Lee, Tristen (14 March 2017). "Huggle: How the Founders of the Friendship and Dating App Plan to Take Over the Tech World". EveningStandard. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- "Huggle Launch Aims to Help People Find Friends Safely Online". The Week. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- Tamplin, Harley (14 February 2018). "Tech Feminist Has Banned Valentine's Day on Her Dating App". Metro. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- Malin, Angelica. "Top 30: Female Entrepreneurs In The UK To Watch in 2018". About Time. Retrieved 19 March 2018.