SaveUp CEO Priya Haji died on July 14 after suffering what appeared to have been a pulmonary embolism, according to statements from her family and the company.
Haji was a vivacious and creative entrepreneur who launched multiple socially minded projects, including a free health clinic in Texas while in high school and a social service organization in East Palo Alto called Free at Last while in college. Her startup World of Good, which helped woman artisans reach global markets, was acquired by eBay in 2010.
Her most recent company SaveUp rewards users who connect their financial accounts for meeting their savings goals. The company had been working with credit unions as well as advertisers who offered sweepstakes prizes to encourage good personal spending behaviors.
SaveUp, which has $7 million in funding from BlueRun Ventures and True Ventures, won “Best in Show” at the financial tech conference Finovate in May.
Haji, who won the nickname “Firecracker” from her mother after being born on the fourth of July, had just turned 44. She was a single parent of two young children, Zen, 2, and Omi, 11 months. Her family and friends are gathering on a memorial Facebook page.
See Haji in her own words in this series of Makers videos.
