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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIn February 2022, Amperity co-founder Kabir Shahani stepped down as CEO and left the company’s board. Shahani told GeekWire his decision was voluntary and personal; Barry Padgett, then Amperity’s COO and president, succeeded him as CEO. The departure came months after Amperity’s reported 2021 valuation rose above $1 billion following a $100 million funding round—a historical figure, not a current valuation.
What happened in February 2022?
Amperity announced on February 4, 2022, that Padgett would become CEO as Shahani stepped down. GeekWire reported later that month that Shahani had also left the board. That combination—leaving both the top executive role and the board—made the change more than a routine CEO succession.
Amperity’s announcement, titled “Leadership for our Next Phase of Growth,” presented Padgett’s appointment as part of the company’s next phase and global expansion. It did not quote Shahani or explain why he was leaving. Board member Matt McIlwain confirmed Shahani’s resignation to GeekWire but did not describe its circumstances. GeekWire’s February 2022 report covered the departure and the company’s initial announcement.
Why did Kabir Shahani leave?
Shahani described his departure as voluntary and for personal reasons. In a message to friends reproduced by GeekWire, he wrote: “This led me to my decision to follow an unexpected path — stepping away from the company I co-founded and love so I will have the time for some overdue self-care, and being truly present with my family.” That is Shahani’s account of his reasons; the company’s announcement and McIlwain’s confirmation did not independently explain the decision.
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The available reporting does not establish that Amperity forced Shahani out. It also does not provide a quantified comparison showing how often founders leave both the CEO role and board, or what outcomes typically follow such transitions. University of Washington Foster School of Business professor Bruce Avolio, quoted by GeekWire, offered a governance perspective: “The best transition is one that’s planned, period.” That is his view, not a statistical finding about startup transitions.
Who replaced Shahani, and what happened to Amperity’s leadership later?
Barry Padgett became CEO in February 2022 after serving as Amperity’s COO and president. The leadership did not remain static: Amperity announced Tony Alika Owens as CEO and a board member on November 12, 2024. In June 2026, GeekWire reported that founders Shahani and Derek Slager had become co-CEOs in a planned mutual transition replacing Owens.
- 2016: Shahani and Slager co-founded Amperity.
- February 2022: Shahani stepped down as CEO and left the board; Padgett became CEO.
- November 12, 2024: Amperity appointed Owens CEO and board member. Amperity’s announcement gives the appointment date.
- June 2026: GeekWire reported that Shahani and Slager became co-CEOs, replacing Owens in a planned mutual transition. Its report also described layoffs connected with an AI-related operating transformation; Amperity did not specify the number of roles cut. GeekWire’s June 2026 report described the change and the company’s transformation.
What did the “billion-dollar” description refer to?
The headline’s billion-dollar context refers to a past financing milestone, not a confirmed present-day valuation. GeekWire reported in 2022 that Amperity had reached a valuation above $1 billion after a $100 million funding round in 2021, seven months before Shahani’s departure. The report provides historical funding context; it does not establish Amperity’s current valuation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does Amperity do?
Amperity is an enterprise software company, not a consumer product brand. It sells customer-data platform software that helps businesses bring information from separate systems together—for example, email, purchase history, mobile-app use, website traffic and physical-store visits. GeekWire’s 2025 coverage named Salesforce, Adobe, Tealium, Treasure Data and Lytics among companies in the competitive market.
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In March 2025, GeekWire reported that Dawn Lepore had become Amperity’s board chair. That is dated board context and does not establish the board’s current composition. GeekWire’s June 2026 report described Amperity as having more than 200 employees globally at that time; it did not state how many people were laid off, so neither figure should be treated as a current verified total.
For readers approaching the story through personal finance, the useful distinction is between a company’s reported private-market valuation and the value of a publicly traded share. The cited coverage reports a 2021 valuation after a funding round, but does not establish a current valuation or provide a public-stock price.
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- Author: Bungay Stanier, Michael.
- Publisher: Page Two
- Pages: 244
- Publication Date: 2016-02-29
- Edition: 1
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