Technology Executive & Engineering Leader; Co-Founder & CTO of Slack; Author of "Building Scalable Websites"
Cal Henderson Biography
Cal Henderson is a technology executive and entrepreneur recognized as the co-founder and longtime chief technology officer of Slack, a workplace messaging and collaboration platform that has influenced how teams communicate in the software industry. Henderson served as co-founder and CTO of Slack from its inception through its public listing on the New York Stock Exchange and its acquisition by Salesforce for $27.7 billion. In this capacity, he led engineering, research, and design teams, setting the technical vision for the company. Slack quickly gained traction, reaching 500,000 daily users in its first year, with Henderson guiding the effort to scale the platform while maintaining simplicity.
Henderson's journey to co-founding Slack began with his connection to Stewart Butterfield through the online game Game Neverending, developed by Butterfield's company Ludicorp. Henderson managed a fan website for the game and accessed an internal Ludicorp mailing list, which led to his hiring. The two later collaborated to build Tiny Speck, a company focused on creating the online game "Glitch." Although the game did not achieve widespread adoption, the internal messaging tool developed for team collaboration evolved into Slack, offering structured communication for businesses and teams.
Prior to Slack, Henderson was the first employee at the online photo-sharing site Flickr, where he contributed to the platform's development and led the engineering team through its acquisition by Yahoo. He played a significant role in advancing web API technology, creating the foundation for OAuth and oEmbed, protocols now used by platforms such as YouTube and Twitter. Henderson authored the O'Reilly Media book "Building Scalable Websites," which is widely referenced in the field of engineering scalability.
Henderson's work in the technology sector has been recognized by the World Economic Forum, which named him a Young Global Leader, and by Fortune Magazine, which included him in its "40 under 40" list. He received an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University for his contributions to technology and was previously named the university's Alumni of the Year. Henderson continues to advise and invest in emerging software leaders and technology startups.
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How do I book Cal Henderson to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Cal Henderson for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Cal Henderson, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Cal Henderson or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Cal Henderson
Speaking fees for Cal Henderson, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Cal Henderson are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Cal Henderson, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Cal Henderson speak about?
Cal Henderson is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business, Communication, Computer Science, Disruptive Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Futurism, Technology, Thought Leadership -
Where does Cal Henderson travel from?
Cal Henderson generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Cal Henderson’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Cal Henderson for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Cal Henderson for your next private or corporate function. -
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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Cal Henderson or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
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Cal Henderson is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Cal Henderson for your event is available upon request. Cal Henderson generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Amy Jo Martin, Stewart Butterfield, Joy Buolamwini, Lori Cheek and Travis Kalanick. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Cal Henderson for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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