Harper Reed ’01, 2014 Young Alumni Achievement Award

Harper Reed, your leading-edge software engineering is being recognized today by Cornell’s Alumni Association, which elected you as a Young Alumni Achievement Award winner for 2014.

You graduated from Cornell in 2001 with degrees in computer science and philosophy. You first achieved renown as a tech guru while serving as Chief Technology Officer for clothing company Threadless, where you helped pioneer the online business model of crowd-sourcing. Nationwide media attention arrived when you served as Chief Technology Officer for Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, including coverage in the 2012 Time Person of the Year issue as well as articles in Mother Jones, Wired, The Atlantic, and the Chicago Tribune. Your success led to speaking engagements throughout Europe and Australia.

Your leadership in new technology also led to recognition in your home base of Chicago in 2014 when the Chicago Tribune labeled you “one to watch” and Crain’s Chicago Business named you to their 40 under 40 list. Your new venture, Modest, is described as “Chicago’s most-anticipated technology startup.”

Cornell is still a constant in your life. While serving on the Obama re-election campaign team, you hired two Cornell graduates. The three of you returned to the Hilltop in 2012 as Beta Omicron Distinguished Alumni Visitors. And you are married to Cornell classmate Hiromi Nakazawa ’01.

Harper, on behalf of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the entire Cornell community, it is my honor to recognize you with the Young Alumni Achievement Award.