Ruzwana Bashir

Ruzwana Bashir
Born	(1983-07-28) July 28, 1983 Skipton, North Yorkshire, England
Alma mater	New College, University of Oxford; Harvard Business School (MBA)
Occupation(s)	Business leader, entrepreneur
Known for	Founder and CEO of Peek

Ruzwana Bashir (born 28 July 1983) is a British-American business leader and entrepreneur, known as the founder and CEO of Peek, a travel enterprise headquartered in San Francisco. In 2012, she was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 list under Technology and subsequently featured in 2014 on Fast Companys 100 Most Creative People as well as Vanity Fairs Next Establishment.

Early life and education

Raised in Skipton, Bashir attended Skipton Girls' High School located in North Yorkshire. She pursued her undergraduate studies in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at New College, University of Oxford.

In March 2004, she was elected president of the Oxford Union debating society, prevailing over James Forsyth amid allegations of electoral misconduct against her rival. A tribunal later found Forsyth culpable, leading to amendments in the Union’s election procedures. Bashir became only the second Muslim to hold the presidency after former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Throughout her presidency, she welcomed distinguished guests such as Senator John McCain, Michael Heseltine, Norman Lamont, Kenneth Clarke, John Redwood, David Trimble, Tom Ford, Hans Blix, and José María Aznar. Additionally, she crossed paths with Boris Johnson, a former president of the Union, in 2004.

She further enhanced her education by obtaining an MBA from Harvard Business School as a Fulbright Scholar.

Business career

Bashir’s professional journey began in private equity with the Blackstone Group and extended to investment banking at Goldman Sachs in London. She also gained experience at Gilt Groupe and contributed to the founding team of Art.sy in New York.

In 2012, she launched Peek, an online platform connecting travelers and locals for booking activities at vacation spots. As the company's CEO, Bashir attracted investment from notable figures including Eric Schmidt, Jack Dorsey, and David Bonderman. She met Oskar Bruening, Peek’s co-founder and CTO, in New York; they decided to establish the company together on that same day. Peek introduced Peek Pro—a backend solution for tour operators—in November 2013, followed by a mobile application release in December 2013.

Peek secured $5 million in funding during 2014, raised $10 million in 2016 with Trulia founder Pete Flint joining its Board of Directors, and obtained $23 million in 2018 alongside forming a partnership with Google. In 2019, Forbes identified Peek as a potential travel unicorn within North America.

Bashir has been acknowledged among the most influential women in technology alongside figures such as Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer. In 2014, she earned recognition as one of the Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs by Fortune, was named among the Most Influential Women in Business by the San Francisco Business Times, and appeared on Glamour's list of "35 Under 35 Who Are Changing the Tech Industry." That same year, Peek was featured among Time's Top 50 Websites and Fast Company's World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Travel. In 2016, Fortune described Bashir as "Silicon Valley’s Favorite British Import." She received an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in 2022.

Personal life

In 2009, reports indicated that Bashir was romantically involved with actor Toby Kebbell, whom she met at a Christmas gathering. The couple made public appearances together, including attending the 62nd British Academy Film Awards. By 2014, she was reported to be dating Ben Rattray, founder of Change.org; they were seen together at the TIME 100 Gala.

On 29 August 2014, Bashir published an article in The Guardian recounting her experience as a survivor of sexual abuse. This disclosure occurred amidst investigations into the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal, which involved abuse affecting over 1,400 children between 1997 and 2013. She emphasized the issue of underreporting within the British-Pakistani community and advocated for enhanced victim support to promote reporting and ensure justice.