Bumble’s CEO made history this week—and she did it with her baby on her hip

Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd is now the youngest woman to take a company public in America—and her son was at her side for the historic launch.

With one-year-old Bobby Lee “Bo” Herd II on her hip, Wolfe Herd rang the virtual opening bell for the American stock exchange this week.

“This is what leadership looks like,” says the caption of a video shared to Bumble’s Twitter feed.

This is what leadership looks like.
#BumbleIPO

@WhitWolfeHerd https://t.co/v8csvdCAiE

— Bumble (@bumble)
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Founded in 2014, Bumble is a dating app that requires women to make the first move. The approach is all about empowering women and protecting users.

Wolfe Herd shared a photo of herself and Bo with balloons and confetti raining down after the launch.

“To anyone going through a setback, low point, or rough patch. To anyone who feels disempowered in their relationships — or who’s had the courage to make the first move into healthier ones. Today is for you,” she wrote.

“This is the outcome of starting over again when it feels like the end. It’s a testament to new beginnings, new paradigms, and new norms. Today has shown that barriers can be broken when we believe in a better way. Bumble is the outcome of a fiercely dedicated team who’ve worked tremendously hard to show that women can, should, and will make the first move.”

“When relationships are better for women, they’re better for everyone. To all the first movers, whether on our platforms, in business, or in life: you’re what today is about. Never take no for an answer, believe in yourselves, and turn your pain into purpose,” she wrote.

In the last year, 559 companies have gone public in the United States. Just three, including Bumble, were founded by women.

She’s only the 22^nd woman in history to take a company public. And at 31, she’s the youngest.

“It really is a moment to celebrate,” Wolfe Herd told Fortune. “We’re excited to hopefully have this record be broken soon; we are very excited to cheer on the next woman who beats this record.”

That’s what we want to see in our leaders: someone who’s eager for their own records to be broken, if it means more voices at the table.

And we love that Wolfe Herd held her son while she rang that virtual Nasdaq bell. So much went into that decision—she shared that historic moment with her child. She sent the message to other women who are considering taking professional risks or leaps of faith, that they can do it all and be a mother. And when our children see the photos and videos of Wolfe Herd holding her son, they’ll internalize the message that women and mothers can do anything.

It’s fitting that Wolfe Herd made history while leading a company dedicating to protecting and elevating women.

Today, @Bumble becomes a public company. This is only possible thanks to the more than 1.7 billion first moves made… https://t.co/4y83lq7flf

— Whitney Wolfe Herd (@WhitWolfeHerd)
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She tweeted that the launch is “what happens when women make the first move. Thank you for believing in those women. For betting on those women. For being those women.”

We could say the same to her.