{"id":"a2398b1d-ab35-49fe-9a7c-4949cf6eb4b9","slug":"sandy-lerner","name":"Sandy Lerner","bioBrief":"American businesswoman and philanthropist; co-founded [Cisco Systems](/companies/cisco) in 1984 with her then-partner Leonard Bosack while both were staff at Stanford University. After leaving Cisco she founded Urban Decay cosmetics and became an advocate for animal welfare. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from California State University and Stanford University respectively.","priorExits":null,"nationality":"American","verificationPosture":"verified","aliases":[],"sources":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco","name":"Wikipedia","title":"Cisco — Wikipedia"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Lerner","title":"Sandy Lerner — Wikipedia","sourceName":"Wikipedia"},{"url":"https://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2005-La-Pr/Lerner-Sandy.html","title":"Sandy Lerner Biography","sourceName":"Notable Biographies"}],"reviewStatus":"reviewed","createdAt":"2026-08-15T02:59:04.039Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-16T15:28:29.537Z","educations":[],"companyRoles":[{"id":"3cc89c53-d78a-4f14-b4b9-d1c06a9052a2","personId":"a2398b1d-ab35-49fe-9a7c-4949cf6eb4b9","companyId":"e39f5207-7d3a-46b4-ac7a-64fd4898d5fe","role":"founder","roleTitle":"Co-founder","startDate":null,"endDate":null,"currentRole":false,"roleBasis":null,"createdAt":"2026-08-15T02:59:04.833Z","company":{"slug":"cisco","name":"Cisco Systems"}}],"boardRoles":[],"investorRoles":[],"foundings":[{"id":"e5f5c1c0-48a1-4ce0-b0d1-d29a9bb338fa","personId":"a2398b1d-ab35-49fe-9a7c-4949cf6eb4b9","companyId":"e39f5207-7d3a-46b4-ac7a-64fd4898d5fe","foundingDate":null,"cofounderStatus":null,"stillAtCompany":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-16T15:28:30.673Z","company":{"slug":"cisco","name":"Cisco Systems"}}]}