# Raed Khawaja

> Raed Khawaja is the Los Angeles-based co-founder and CEO of Open, a mindfulness company that combines an app with a physical studio in Venice and brings breathwork, meditation, movement, and sound into one designed experience. His path runs from economics and corporate finance through PepsiCo and startup operations to hosting group meditations in San Francisco, where close observation of how people practiced became the basis for Open's hybrid model.

- **Role:** CEO and Co-founder at Open
- **Organizations:** Open, Jyve, PepsiCo, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, WholeSchool Mindfulness, Netsol Technologies
- **Education:** Bachelor's degree in Economics, DePaul University, Studies in microeconomics and econometrics, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- **Known for:** Co-founded Open in 2018 and built a hybrid digital and in-person mindfulness company., Led Open through more than 100 San Francisco pop-up classes in 2019., Raised $14.5 million across seed and Series A funding announced in 2021.

## Career timeline

- **2011** — Graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor's degree in economics; professional directories place his early career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
- **2011-2015** — Worked at PepsiCo across associate, customer and retail management, strategy and insights, and e-commerce roles.
- **2016-2018** — Served as a director at Jyve, an early-stage technology company.
- **2018** — Co-founded Open and began serving as CEO.
- **2019** — Open hosted more than 100 in-person pop-up classes in San Francisco, with groups ranging from 30 to 300 people.
- **2020** — Open postponed its planned physical-studio work during the pandemic and focused on its digital product.
- **2021** — Open announced $14.5 million across a $5.5 million seed round and a $9 million Series A.
- **2023** — Open completed and launched its flagship Venice, California studio, designed by Leong Leong.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Open in 2018 and built a hybrid digital and in-person mindfulness company.
- Led Open through more than 100 San Francisco pop-up classes in 2019.
- Raised $14.5 million across seed and Series A funding announced in 2021.
- Opened Open's purpose-built flagship studio in Venice, California in 2023.
- Served as a board member of WholeSchool Mindfulness beginning in 2021; the organization now lists him among former board members.

## Latest updates

- **2025-12** — Appeared on the At Large with Scott Norton podcast for a live conversation at Open's Venice studio about building the company, culture, and meaning.
- **2024-02** — Discussed Open's origins, long-term decision-making, daily routines, and his goal of improving at surfing in an interview with The Chalkboard Magazine.
- **2023-12** — Appeared on The Flynn Skidmore Podcast to discuss ego, purpose, creative work, and the realities of building Open.
- **2023-05** — Open launched its flagship in-person studio in Venice, California.

## Links

- Website: https://raedkhawaja.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raed-khawaja-27838327
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/raedish

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/raed-khawaja
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-26