# David Risher

> David Risher is the San Francisco-based CEO of Lyft, a former Microsoft general manager and Amazon retail executive, and co-founder of Worldreader and #HalfMyDAF. His career connects consumer technology, access to reading and charitable giving, with a recurring emphasis on removing practical obstacles for the people using a service.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Lyft
- **Organizations:** Lyft, Worldreader, #HalfMyDAF, Amazon, Microsoft, Equeum, Bookclubs, University of Washington
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in Comparative Literature, Princeton University, M.B.A., Harvard Business School, Honorary doctorate, Wilson College
- **Known for:** Helped Amazon expand from an online bookseller with approximately $15 million in annual sales into a retail business with more than $4 billion in sales, alongside its broader team., Led Microsoft Access and Microsoft Investor before joining Amazon., Co-founded Worldreader, which reported reaching 21 million people by the time he became Lyft CEO in 2023.

## Career timeline

- **1987** — Graduated from Princeton University with a degree in comparative literature.
- **1991** — Graduated from Harvard Business School and joined Microsoft.
- **1991-1997** — Worked at Microsoft, leading Access and Microsoft Investor.
- **1997-2002** — Worked at Amazon as its first vice president of product and store development and later senior vice president of U.S. retail.
- **2002** — Left Amazon; subsequently taught at the University of Washington’s business school.
- **2009** — Co-founded Worldreader with Colin McElwee.
- **2020** — Co-founded #HalfMyDAF with his wife Jennifer Risher.
- **2021** — Joined Lyft’s board in July.
- **2023** — Became Lyft CEO on April 17 and transitioned to founding board chair at Worldreader.
- **2025** — Led Lyft during its acquisition of European taxi platform Freenow, completed July 31.
- **2026** — Continued leading Lyft as Waymo rides became available through its app in Nashville.

## Achievements

- Helped Amazon expand from an online bookseller with approximately $15 million in annual sales into a retail business with more than $4 billion in sales, alongside its broader team.
- Led Microsoft Access and Microsoft Investor before joining Amazon.
- Co-founded Worldreader, which reported reaching 21 million people by the time he became Lyft CEO in 2023.
- Co-founded #HalfMyDAF, whose October 2026 update reported more than $133 million moved to nonprofits cumulatively.
- Led Lyft during a period that included its European expansion and Q2 2026 reported active ridership of 30.5 million globally.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Lyft announced an 80,000-square-foot Flexdrive autonomous-vehicle depot in Nashville on October 2, with Waymo vehicles expected October 12.
- **2026-10** — Jennifer and David Risher’s #HalfMyDAF update reported more than $133 million moved to nonprofits since 2020 and approximately $35.576 million in donor-advised-fund giving in 2026.
- **2026-09** — Lyft and Waymo announced on September 9 that riders could be matched with Waymo vehicles through Lyft in Nashville.
- **2026-08** — Lyft reported Q2 2026 active riders of 30.5 million, gross bookings of $5.5 billion and net income of $50.3 million.
- **2026-03** — Published an annual shareholder letter discussing international expansion, a hybrid autonomous future and his efforts to give leaders more room in meetings.

## Links

- Website: https://www.halfmydaf.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdavidrisher
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/davidrisher

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/david-risher
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21