Shireen Afkari, Strava, and the Art of Speedrunning a Career Implosion
There are many ways to start the new year. You can journal. You can detox. You can swear this is the year you finally stop replying “Happy New Year” after January 5.
Or, if you’re Shireen Afkari, you can allegedly get drunk, yell at restaurant staff, get arrested, go viral, and get fired by Strava before most people have finished their holiday leftovers.
Efficient. Impressive, even.
By January 2, Afkari’s name wasn’t circulating in marketing circles or fitness communities. It was circulating in news articles, social feeds, and comment sections full of people asking the same question in different fonts: How did you think this would end?
Who Is Shireen Afkari (And Why You Now Know Her Name)
Before this very public detour, Shireen Afkari worked as a senior manager of growth marketing and retention at Strava. A job that, ironically, revolves around engagement, community trust, and not alienating large groups of people in one go.
Strava, for those unfamiliar, is the fitness app turned social platform used by runners, cyclists, and people who really want you to know they woke up at 5 a.m. It boasts tens of millions of users globally and brands itself around connection, positivity, and shared goals.
So naturally, this is where things went sideways.
The Night That Ruined Everyone’s January
The incident itself unfolded at Hazie’s, a restaurant in San Francisco. Video footage shows Afkari allegedly yelling at and physically confronting restaurant staff after being refused service due to visible intoxication.
In the footage, Afkari is seen grabbing a male restaurant worker by the hair and pulling his head toward her while shouting. The interaction escalates quickly, with staff attempting to intervene as she continues to yell and physically engage.
Not a misunderstanding. Not a bad Yelp review. A full public meltdown, captured on camera, uploaded, shared, slowed down, annotated, and replayed by strangers who had nothing better to do and an internet connection.
According to multiple outlets including NDTV, AOL, and Velo Outside, Afkari was arrested by San Francisco police on suspicion of public intoxication.
If you’re keeping score, that’s restaurant staff, police, social media, and national news outlets all involved in one evening. A busy night.
When the Internet Does What It Does Best
Once the video surfaced, the timeline was predictable. Viewers identified Afkari. Her professional role was dug up. Strava was tagged. Screenshots flew. The discourse arrived right on schedule.
This is the part where people pretend to be shocked by how fast things escalated.
They shouldn’t be.
Research from the MIT Media Lab shows that video-based controversies spread dramatically faster than text-based ones. Add a recognizable employer and a platform built on “community,” and you’ve basically gift-wrapped a PR crisis.
Strava Responds Like a Company That Enjoys Remaining Employed
To Strava’s credit, the company didn’t waffle.
In a public statement later cited by International Business Times, Strava confirmed that Afkari’s employment had been terminated. The company made it clear it does not condone violence and that the behavior did not reflect its values.
No flowery language. No “we’re listening.” No carefully staged apology carousel.
Just: this happened, we don’t support it, she no longer works here.
According to Harvard Business Review research on crisis management, companies that act decisively within the first 24 hours significantly reduce long-term reputational damage. Translation: don’t argue with the internet while it’s holding receipts.
Strava understood the assignment.
The Career Fallout Question Everyone Is Whispering
Does this end Shireen Afkari’s career?
Probably not. But it does put it in witness protection for a while.
The problem is that Afkari’s role wasn’t behind the scenes. Growth marketing and retention are trust-based disciplines. When your personal behavior publicly contradicts your professional expertise, people notice.
The internet doesn’t forget. It just stops caring eventually. Those are not the same thing.
Why This Story Feels So January
There’s something especially bleak about this all happening at the start of the year.
January is when everyone pretends they’re becoming a better person. This story cut through that collective fantasy like a cigarette burn through paper.
It’s a reminder that:
Your off-hours are not invisible
Your digital footprint does not reset on January 1
And your employer will absolutely choose the brand over you
According to Statista, over 90 percent of employers conduct online searches as part of hiring decisions. That doesn’t mean they expect saints. It means they expect adults who don’t make national news for yelling at waitstaff.
Low bar. Still tripped.
A Hell of a Way to Start The Year
As of now, Shireen Afkari’s name is permanently attached to an incident she likely wishes never happened. Strava has moved on. The internet will too, eventually.
But January will remember.
This story shows us how fast things unravel when ego meets alcohol meets cameras. About how “off-hours behavior” is a myth. About how the new year doesn’t care about your intentions.
Now excuse me. This cigarette isn’t going to smoke itself.
