# Charlie Stigler

> Charlie Stigler is the co-founder and CEO of Tenor, a San Francisco startup building voice-AI role-play simulations that let managers rehearse hard conversations and get instant feedback. He first made his mark at 16 by writing SelfControl, one of the earliest open-source distraction blockers for the Mac, downloaded by millions. He dropped out of Columbia to become a 2012 Thiel Fellow, founded the video-learning company Zaption (acquired by Workday in 2016), led engineering teams at Workday, and landed on Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2016. Off the clock he is a steel sculptor with the Flaming Lotus Girls, a competitive punner, and a songwriter.

- **Role:** Co-founder + CEO at Tenor
- **Organizations:** Tenor, Workday, Zaption, SelfControl, Flaming Lotus Girls, The Box Shop
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Attended (dropped out to join Thiel Fellowship), Columbia University, Thiel Fellow, Thiel Fellowship
- **Known for:** Built SelfControl at 16, an open-source distraction blocker downloaded by millions (4.4k+ GitHub stars)., Awarded a Thiel Fellowship in 2012., Founded Zaption, acquired by Workday in 2016.

## Career timeline

- **2009** — At age 16, built and released SelfControl, an open-source Mac app that blocks distracting websites for a set time you cannot undo.
- **2010** — Enrolled at Columbia University in New York.
- **2012** — Dropped out of Columbia to become a Thiel Fellow.
- **2012** — Co-founded Zaption, a video-based learning startup; raised ~$1.5M seed.
- **2016** — Zaption acquired by Workday; became the basis for Workday Learning. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30.
- **2016** — Joined Workday, leading engineering teams and working on product strategy for enterprise learning.
- **2023** — Co-founded Tenor (with James Cross), an AI platform for leadership development.
- **2024** — Tenor raised a $5.4M seed round from Base10 Partners, Reach Capital, and angels in HR and learning.

## Achievements

- Built SelfControl at 16, an open-source distraction blocker downloaded by millions (4.4k+ GitHub stars).
- Awarded a Thiel Fellowship in 2012.
- Founded Zaption, acquired by Workday in 2016.
- Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (2016).
- Co-founded Tenor and raised $5.4M seed funding.
- Steel sculptor creating large-scale immersive installations with the Flaming Lotus Girls.

## Latest updates

- **2024-12** — Tenor closed a $5.4M seed round led by Base10 Partners with Reach Capital and angels.
- **2023** — Founded Tenor with longtime collaborator James Cross, former VP of Product Strategy at Workday.

## Links

- Website: https://charliestigler.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cstigler/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/charliestigler
- GitHub: https://github.com/cstigler

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/charlie-stigler
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-25