Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia steps back from leadership role
Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia today introduced he’s stepping down from his position at the company he helped launch more than a 10 years back. In a letter to employees also published to Airbnb’s corporate blog site, Gebbia claimed he will remain on the board of directors but changeover to an advisory purpose, supporting co-founders Brian Chesky and Nathan Blecharczyk on “the roadmap, future principles, and [Airbnb’s] imaginative society.”
Gebbia was beforehand the chairman of Samara, Airbnb’s style and design studio, and of Airbnb.org, the company’s nonprofit foundation.
“The main rationale for this transition is that this is the only company I have at any time assisted develop, and my mind is bursting with far more concepts to bring to the planet,” Gebbia wrote. “My initial new venture is a startup called parenthood, at which I’ll be taking on the role of Father. The many others include a complementary merchandise to Airbnb, documentary filmmaking, and many philanthropic initiatives. I’m searching forward to sharing more about these with you shortly.”
Gebbia co-launched Airbnb together with Chesky, his roommate and previous schoolmate at the Rhode Island School of Layout, in San Francisco back in 2008. Originally called “AirBed & Breakfast,” the startup was invited by Paul Graham to be a part of the 2009 Y Combinator winter season cohort, which provided funding that the co-founders utilised to endorse the fledgling services. In March 2009, the business shortened its name to “Airbnb” and expanded from air beds and shared areas to attributes which includes full homes, flats and non-public rooms.
Gebbia noticed the business via its to start with yr of profitability — 2016 — and IPO and the start of providers which include Airbnb Encounters and Airbnb Furthermore, a selection of households vetted for high-quality of companies. He co-led Airbnb by way of its down moments, as well, like battles with policymakers above the legality of Airbnb listings and a steep drop in company at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gebbia was a major contributor to Airbnb’s early design, for example brainstorming the strategy of supplying cost-free professional pictures solutions to Airbnb hosts from a local community of freelancers. He also spearheaded the founding of Airbnb.org in 2020, which allows hosts on Airbnb to house individuals in times of crises — individually donating $5 million to help kick off the fund’s initiatives.
As of November 2021, Gebbia’s web worthy of was estimated at $11.4 billion. He maintains various facet jobs, including investing at female-established venture money fund The Helm and the San Antonio Spurs investor group and government manufacturing documentaries films on a selection of subjects. Gebbia is also an investor in Nebia, a startup producing an environmentally-helpful shower method.
