Hadi Partovi

Hadi Partovi
Name	Hadi Partovi
Birth date	c. 1972
Birth place	Tehran, Iran
Nationality	American
Education	Harvard University (B.A.)
Occupation	Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist
Known for	Co-founding Code.org, Neo

Hadi Partovi is an Iranian-American technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, best known as the co-founder and CEO of the education nonprofit Code.org. A prominent advocate for expanding access to computer science education, he has significantly influenced policy and curriculum in schools across the United States and globally. Partovi is also a noted angel investor and venture capitalist, having backed numerous successful technology companies through his firm Neo.

Early life and education

Born in Tehran, Iran, Hadi Partovi and his identical twin brother Ali Partovi fled the country with their family during the Iran–Iraq War, eventually settling in the United States. He demonstrated an early aptitude for mathematics and programming, winning a gold medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics while in high school. Partovi attended Harvard University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science and was a member of the Harvard Computer Society.

Career

After graduating from Harvard University, Partovi began his career at Microsoft, where he worked as a program manager on the early Internet Explorer team and later led the development of Microsoft Virtual Server. He subsequently co-founded the music startup Tellme Networks, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2007. Following this success, he served as an executive at iLike, a social music discovery service later acquired by MySpace. His experiences in the Silicon Valley technology sector laid the groundwork for his future ventures in education technology and venture capital.

Code.org

In 2013, Hadi Partovi co-founded Code.org with his brother Ali Partovi, launching the viral "Hour of Code" campaign which has introduced hundreds of millions of students worldwide to introductory computer programming. The organization partners with major technology firms like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook to advocate for policy changes and develop curriculum used in public schools across all 50 U.S. states. Under Partovi's leadership, Code.org has been instrumental in promoting legislation to fund and expand K–12 computer science education in states like Washington, Texas, and Arkansas.

Investments and philanthropy

Beyond Code.org, Partovi is a prolific angel investor and venture capitalist. He co-founded the startup accelerator and venture firm Neo, which has invested in early-stage companies including Facebook, Airbnb, Uber, Dropbox, and Zappos. His philanthropic efforts are primarily channeled through Code.org and related initiatives aimed at increasing diversity in the tech industry, with a focus on supporting women in computing and students from underrepresented communities. He also serves on the board of the Computer Science Teachers Association.

Personal life

Hadi Partovi lives in the Seattle area and is married with children. He is an identical twin to his brother and frequent collaborator Ali Partovi. An avid advocate for educational equity, he frequently speaks at conferences such as the World Economic Forum and TED about the importance of computer science literacy. He maintains a strong connection to his Iranian heritage and has commented on the potential for technology to bridge global divides.

Awards and recognition

For his work with Code.org, Partovi has received numerous accolades, including being named to the Forbes list of "World's Most Powerful People" and the Time 100 list of most influential people. He has been honored with the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment, and the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. In 2015, he and his brother received the The Economist Innovation Award for social and economic innovation.

Category:American technology entrepreneurs Category:American philanthropists Category:People in technology education Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Living people