In a recent LinkedIn post, April Underwood reflects on her tenure as a Board Member at Eventbrite, coinciding with the company’s acquisition by Bending Spoons. Underwood shared her congratulations with Eventbrite’s leadership, particularly CEO Julia Hartz, on reaching this significant milestone after two decades of founder-led operations.
Underwood, who also serves as an early-stage investor at Adverb Ventures, highlighted the value of long-term company vision. She noted her experience on the Eventbrite board, which followed her earlier appointment to the Zillow board in 2017, as a formative period in her independent board work.
“The first few years of independent board work can be a bit bewildering — where to help, and how; where to exercise patience and where to speak up.”
Navigating the Nuances of Board Service
April Underwood elaborated on the complexities of board membership, emphasizing that the most profound learning often occurs when confronting challenging decisions. She praised the Eventbrite board as an exceptional group, stating that she gained valuable insights from each of her colleagues in every meeting.
According to Underwood, the management team built by Founder, CEO, and Chairwoman Julia Hartz was exceptionally easy to support. She described them as:
- Passionate about the mission
- Hardworking and diligent
- Loyal and connected to one another
Eventbrite’s Enduring Value in a Tech-Driven Market
In her post, Underwood contrasted Eventbrite’s core mission with the prevailing market trends toward automation. She argued that Eventbrite champions human connection and the irreplaceable value of live experiences.
“In a market focused on automation and robots, Eventbrite holds the mantle for human connection, live experiences you have to see and feel to believe, and the creativity and taste of event organizers that LLMs don’t match.”
Underwood further lauded Julia Hartz’s unique founder-market fit. As she observed, Hartz is a truly exceptional host whose events leave attendees transformed.
“Julia demonstrates the ultimate founder-market fit: a truly exceptional host and organizer herself, her guests leave every event she puts on changed, and moved.”
Concluding her reflections, April Underwood expressed her fondness for the board experience and her gratitude for the opportunity to contribute. She extended congratulations to all involved in the acquisition.
As Underwood prepares for new ventures, her insights underscore the importance of human-centric businesses and the dedication required for sustained leadership in the corporate world.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by April Underwood on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on March 16, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →