Ruzwana Bashir

Ruzwana Bashir is a British Pakistani entrepreneur with a significant background in finance and technology. She attended New College, Oxford, where she studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics and became the first British-born woman of Asian descent to be President of the Oxford Union. She was also a Fulbright Scholar at Harvard Business School.

Bashir's professional journey includes roles in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in London and in private equity at the Blackstone Group. She further expanded her experience in the tech industry by working at Gilt Groupe and was part of the founding team at Art.sy in New York. In 2012, Bashir founded Peek.com, based in San Francisco, California, which has been described as "Shopify for experiences," merging a consumer marketplace with sophisticated business tools for bookings and payments. Under her leadership as CEO, Peek.com has facilitated over $2 billion in bookings and raised more than $50 million from investors such as Eric Schmidt and Jack Dorsey.

Bashir has been recognized widely for her contributions to business and technology. She was named one of Forbes "30 under 30" in technology in 2012, and Forbes has also named Peek “America’s next travel unicorn.” Additionally, she has been acknowledged as one of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs and Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business. She was a finalist for E&Y’s Entrepreneur of the Year and is a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum. Bashir also serves on the Board of SoFi and participates in angel investing and scouting for Sequoia Capital, with investments in innovative companies like Clubhouse and Living Carbon.

Bashir has contributed to various high-profile events, such as speaking at the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit in 2018, and has been featured in media for her influential role in enhancing the travel experience through technology. Her insights and leadership continue to shape the intersection of technology and consumer experience in the travel industry.