Once a college dropout, this CEO went back to school at 52—but she still says the Gen Zers who will succeed are those who ‘forge their own path’
Being a successful college dropout is worn like a badge of honor for many in the business world. After all, some of the wealthiest leaders—Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Larry Ellison—never finished their degrees, and they’re proud of it.
Lauren Antonoff once wore that badge, too. After her apartment burned down as a student at University of California, Berkeley, and she missed finishing her diploma, she still managed to break into tech, spending nearly two decades at Microsoft and later serving as a senior executive at GoDaddy. After building a career without the credential she was supposed to have, Antonoff took pride in proving she didn’t need it.
But after 25 years in the industry, Antonoff became burdened by what she felt was “unfinished business.” So in 2022, during a rare career break, she was back in a UC Berkeley lecture hall—this time as a 52-year-old peer among classmates half her age. Antonoff’s schedule was filled with courses in rhetoric, political science, and even biotech.
Going back to school wasn’t ultimately revolutionary for her career, she admitted to Fortune, but it did sharpen her perspective on adaptivity and staying focused on long-term goals—even when life takes unexpected turns.
“There are probably some people who approach college from like, ‘I’m going to do the assignment and do what I’m told,’” she told Fortune. “But the students I think that really thrive are the ones who forge their own path.”
Now, as CEO of Life360—the family location app worth more than $5 billion—she sees clear parallels between navigating a classroom and navigating the C-suite.
“That’s a lot of what CEOs do is look at the range of possibilities, figure out what the options are, and pick a path,” she added. “And pick a path knowing that you can’t know the future, knowing that you don’t get to know if you’re right until after and being the ones to shoulder that responsibility.”
Forging your own path can sometimes be somewhat of a privilege and can take time, Antonoff admitted. But, she said, small steps can create momentum.
“I’m a big believer in finding your way in the world,” Antonoff said. “That’s not just about getting a job; if you don’t have a job, start something. If you don’t have a job, go volunteer someplace. In my experience, being active and working on problems that you’re interested in—one thing leads to another.”
The secret to reach the ‘highest levels of success’
Growing up, Antonoff thought she knew exactly where her career was heading: civil rights law. At UC Berkeley, she planned to study rhetoric and political science and then make the jump to law school.
But after buying her first MacBook to write papers, she found an unexpected fascination in technology—and began asking questions. That curiosity led her to the Berkeley Mac User group, where she realized tech might be more than just a hobby.
Her advice for Gen Z echoes that early pivot.
“Do what you love,” she said. “I think it’s very hard to reach the highest levels of success if you don’t have the energy and the passion. I think when you are excited about something, it sort of fuels those creative juices and those insights that allow you to chart the future and bring people along with you.”
In December 2022, Antonoff finally walked across the stage and added one long-awaited line to her résumé: B.A., UC Berkeley. By the following May, she had been named COO of Life360—and within two years, CEO.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com