Harvard Business School Honors Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, as 2026 Business Leader of the Year
Ripple Chairman Chris Larsen and CEO Brad Garlinghouse discuss Ripple's toward success at the Harvard Business School Business Leader of Year award dinner
Sold-out dinner at San Francisco’s historic Julia Morgan Ballroom drew more than 250 business leaders and HBS alumni
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SAN FRANCISCO — On the evening of Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Harvard Business School Association of Northern California (HBSANC) honored Brad Garlinghouse, Chief Executive Officer of Ripple, as its 2026 Business Leader of the Year at a celebratory dinner at the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom in downtown San Francisco. More than 250 entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, HBS alumni, and members of the broader Bay Area community gathered to recognize Garlinghouse’s transformative leadership in global finance and his role in shaping the modern digital asset industry.
Since 1969, the HBS Business Leader of the Year Award has recognized exceptional executives whose vision, integrity, and impact have shaped the business community and beyond. Past honorees include Andy Jassy, Sal Khan, John Chambers, Gordon Moore, Andy Grove, George Shultz, William Hewlett, and David Packard.
The highlight of the evening was a wide-ranging 40-minute fireside chat between Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen, Ripple’s Co-Founder and Executive Chairman — the founder who first brought Garlinghouse on as CEO nearly a decade ago. The two reflected on Ripple’s journey from startup to one of the world’s most consequential financial technology companies, the landmark multi-year SEC case that reshaped the legal framework for the entire crypto industry, and the road ahead for global digital finance.
“Brad represents exactly what this award is meant to celebrate,” said Ben Dubin, Event Chair, venture capitalist, and longtime HBSANC Board member. “He built Ripple into a company that is redefining the infrastructure of global finance, and along the way took on a legal fight that benefited the entire industry. It was our privilege to honor him, Chris, and the entire Ripple team.”
“In an era of rapid digital transformation, Brad Garlinghouse has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to scale a complex platform while maintaining a steadfast commitment to his core vision,” said Professor David B. Yoffie, who teaches at Harvard Business School. “His success with Ripple is a masterclass in surmounting institutional challenges and setting a high standard for the next generation of fintech leaders.”
“It was my honor to recognize Brad, who did not simply participate in the evolution of blockchain — he helped define it,” said Vince Lane, Co-Founder of UNOVA and HBSANC Board Member. “Brad is a true pioneer at the intersection of innovation and finance, transforming possibility into infrastructure, trust into code, and vision into a new global economic paradigm.”
About Brad Garlinghouse
Brad Garlinghouse has served as CEO of Ripple since 2017, after joining the company as COO in 2016. Prior to Ripple, he held senior leadership roles across the internet and technology industry, including President of consumer applications at AOL, CEO of Hightail, and Senior Vice President at Yahoo, where he authored the widely circulated “Peanut Butter Manifesto.” Under his leadership, Ripple has grown into a global financial infrastructure company valued at approximately $40 billion, expanding from cross-border payments into stablecoins (RLUSD), digital asset custody, and institutional prime brokerage following its acquisition of Hidden Road.
About the Harvard Business School Association of Northern California
HBSANC is one of the most active alumni organizations in the Harvard network, representing more than 9,000 HBS alumni across the Bay Area. Through more than 100 programs and events each year, HBSANC advances its mission to Inspire, Connect, and Impact the community of HBS alumni and the region’s broader business ecosystem. More information about the event is available at https://hbsanc.org/events/207923.
About HBS Community Partners
HBS Community Partners (HBSCP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is HBSANC’s pro bono consulting arm. HBSCP has supported more than 450 Bay Area nonprofits through over 10,000 volunteer hours, delivering approximately $3 million annually in pro bono consulting value. The organization also funds scholarships to send nonprofit leaders to Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program. 100% of proceeds from the Business Leader of the Year dinner directly support HBSCP’s mission; all contributions are tax-deductible.
Maya Krish
Harvard Business School Association of Northern California
maya.krish@hbsanc.org
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