# Ariela Safira

> Ariela Safira founded Real in 2019, later renamed Zeera, and was its CEO when Hazel Health acquired it in February 2025. A Stanford mathematics and computational science graduate with experience at IDEO and Cityblock, she is also a long-distance cyclist, a writer on Substack, and a board member of Pioneer Works.

- **Role:** Board Member at Pioneer Works; founder and former CEO of Zeera
- **Organizations:** Zeera (formerly Real; acquired by Hazel Health), Pioneer Works, IDEO, Cityblock
- **Education:** BS, Mathematics and Computational Science, Stanford University, Graduate study; left without completing the program, Columbia University
- **Known for:** Founded Real, later Zeera, and led it through its acquisition in February 2025., Inc. Female Founders 100, 2021., Forbes 30 Under 30, Social Impact, 2022.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2019** — Studied at Stanford and worked at IDEO and Cityblock.
- **2019** — Left Columbia and founded Real.
- **2020** — Team built a digital offering in eight days; launched March 26 ahead of a planned April studio opening.
- **2021** — Named to Inc. Female Founders 100.
- **2022** — Recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30, Social Impact.
- **2023** — Expanded the company into the employer market; solo cycled from Saint-Malo to Nice in 12 days.
- **2024** — Announced the Real-to-Zeera rebrand in February.
- **2025** — Zeera acquired by Hazel Health in February.
- **2026** — Listed on the Pioneer Works board and publishing personal essays on Substack.

## Achievements

- Founded Real, later Zeera, and led it through its acquisition in February 2025.
- Inc. Female Founders 100, 2021.
- Forbes 30 Under 30, Social Impact, 2022.
- Solo cycled from Milan to Amalfi in eight days in 2018.
- Solo cycled from Saint-Malo to Nice in 12 days in 2023.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Named among the Pioneer Works Board of Directors in the Village Fête 2026 program.
- **2026-04** — Published “The Edited Version of You” on Substack on April 9.
- **2026-03** — Published “Will you sit in discomfort with me?”, an essay about relationships, personalization and AI.
- **2025-12** — Discussed selling her company in Inc.’s Founder Group Chat series.
- **2025-02** — Announced Zeera’s acquisition by Hazel Health.

## Links

- Website: https://arielasafira.substack.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asafira
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/arielasafira

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ariela-safira
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25