Jeff Lawson is an American entrepreneur and technology executive, best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Twilio, a cloud-based communications platform that provides APIs for voice, messaging, and video services to developers worldwide. Born in 1977, Lawson developed an early interest in technology and pursued a career in software engineering after graduating from Brown University. His professional journey began in the late 1990s, with roles at startups and major tech firms, including StubHub where he worked on backend systems, and Amazon Web Services, contributing to projects like the Simple Queue Service and early voice recognition technologies that influenced his later innovations in programmable communications. In 2008, inspired by the challenges of integrating communication features into applications during his time at Amazon, Lawson co-founded Twilio with Evan Cooke and John Wolthuis in San Francisco. As CEO, he led the company's expansion, securing significant venture capital including from investor Ethan Kurzweil, and guiding Twilio to its successful IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2016. The platform revolutionized how businesses handle customer interactions through code. Lawson served as CEO until February 2022, when he transitioned to the role of Executive Chair to focus on strategic vision and innovation. He remains an influential figure in the tech ecosystem, advocating for developer tools and cloud infrastructure.