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Julia Austin

Seasoned Technology Executive, Board Director, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, Executive Coach, Founder of Good For Her, Startup Advisor & Angel Investor

Julia Austin is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School's Rock Center for Entrepreneurship, where she currently teaches Startup Operations.2 She has been on the faculty at Harvard Business School since 2016, initially teaching Product Management and serving as the faculty lead of Startup Bootcamp.5

Austin has a diverse background in technology and entrepreneurship:

  1. She has over three decades of experience in engineering, product, and team leadership throughout the startup-to-scale journey.5

  2. Her career includes roles such as:

    • CTO & Advisor at DigitalOcean (2016-2017)
    • VP of Engineering at Akamai (1999-2002)
    • Early employee at successful startups like Akamai, VMware, and DigitalOcean12
  3. In addition to her teaching role, Austin is:

    • A certified executive coach, working exclusively with startup founders
    • A board member and advisor for several startups
    • An angel investor
    • Founder of Good For Her, a non-profit community for women founders12
  4. She holds a bachelor's degree in Studio Art and an MS in Management Information Systems from Boston University.2

  5. Austin is known for her expertise in product management, startup operations, and entrepreneurship, often sharing insights on these topics through her teaching and publications.34

Her approach to teaching is experiential, focusing on applying concepts to real-world situations, particularly students' own ventures.2 Austin's work aims to prepare students for the day-to-day operations that can make or break a startup, emphasizing the importance of execution and team-building in business success.2

Highlights

Dec 4 · hbs.edu
Julia B. Austin - Publications - Faculty & Research
Sep 18 · twitter

My neighbor, Pepper Brown the mini chocolate dachshund, is running for dog mayor of NYC. Please vote for him? He’s the best candidate for the job 🐶

Here: @DogMayorNYC

… and on Instagram https://t.co/ydBWiec33R https://t.co/1iE1TKHRvR

My neighbor, Pepper Brown the mini chocolate dachshund, is running for dog  mayor of NYC. Please vot
Sep 18 · twitter

My neighbor, Pepper Brown the mini chocolate dachshund, is running for dog mayor of NYC. Please vote for him? He’s the best candidate for the job 🐶

Here: @DogMayorNYC

… and on Instagram https://t.co/ydBWiec33R

Nov 29 · harbus.org
Female Professors at HBS Series: Julia Austin - The Harbus
Jul 18 · Poets&Quants
Harvard Business School Summer Reader List Highlights Social Justice - Poets&Quants
Jul 14 · MadameNoire
Here Are 6 Traits That Make Your Business Successful - MadameNoire
Jan 1 · juliaaustin.com
Julia Austin: Home
Julia Austin: Home

Related Questions

What inspired Julia Austin to transition from a career in technology to teaching at Harvard Business School?
How has Julia Austin's experience as a founder and executive coach influenced her teaching style?
What are some key takeaways from Julia Austin's course on Startup Operations?
How does Julia Austin balance her roles as a Senior Lecturer, executive coach, and board member?
What advice does Julia Austin give to startup founders?
Julia Austin
Julia Austin, photo 1
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Location

New York, New York, United States