How Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd Was Inspired by Walt Disney

Whitney Wolfe Herd is a Disney adult, but not in the way you might think.

The Tinder and Bumble cofounder said she “wasn’t obsessed with Disney in a traditional sense.”

Instead, it was the man behind it all, Walter “Walt” Disney, whose life and career she was “fascinated” by. Wolfe Herd appeared on a Tuesday episode of the “Jamie Kern Lima Show,” where she gushed about Disney’s creativity and ability to bring his dreams to fruition. The “dream world” he co-created sparked what would become one of the most revered companies in the world over a century later.

Although she didn’t say her love for Disney (who died before she was born) sparked her dating app ideas directly, his imagination and ability to create a product that brings joy to people inspired her to dream.

“I was completely mesmerized by the capability of the human mind and then the ability of someone to execute on that,” Herd said.

She was so mesmerized, in fact, that she copied his handwriting to sign her name in school. Her yearbook quote in high school was inspired by Disney’s accomplishments in his lifetime and beyond.

The 35-year-old estimated she has “a thousand notebooks” of her using “the same W as Walt Disney for my name, for Whitney Wolfe.” The current Walt Disney logo is a stylized version of Disney’s handwriting.

Now, as she makes her return as the CEO of Bumble, Wolfe Herd said she relates to Disney in a different way than her younger self. Similar to the man who inspired her, Wolfe Herd said her role in creating two of the most popular dating apps helped bring joy to people.

“Inspiration and mentors matter. Seeing things around us that inspire us matters,” Wolfe Herd said.

As Disney did with iconic characters, like Mickey Mouse, Wolfe Herd said she took her dream to “harness technology for good” and created Bumble.