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Dropout to CEO: Tech Exec's Second Act
13 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Former dropout returns to UC Berkeley at 52 to complete degree.
- Lack of degree did not hinder a 25-year career in tech.
- CEO role requires navigating possibilities and shouldering responsibility.
After a 25-year career in tech, including extensive tenures at Microsoft and GoDaddy, Lauren Antonoff returned to UC Berkeley at the age of 52 to complete her undergraduate degree. This decision came after years of success without a diploma, demonstrating that a formal credential was not a barrier to a thriving career in the technology sector.
Antonoff found that her return to academia, pursuing subjects like rhetoric and political science, was not about a career revolution but about refining her outlook on adaptability and long-term objectives. She noted similarities between the student experience of charting a personal path and the responsibilities of a CEO navigating complex business landscapes.
Now leading the family location app Life360 as its CEO, Antonoff believes in the power of pursuing one's passions. Her advice to younger generations emphasizes finding fulfilling work and taking initiative, asserting that passion fuels the innovation and leadership necessary to chart a successful future.
