Joe Gebbia

Joe Gebbia began as an artist, earning dual degrees in graphic design and industrial design from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), supplemented by business coursework at Brown University and MIT. Influenced by designers like Charles and Ray Eames and the Bauhaus movement, he moved to San Francisco after graduation and worked as a designer at Chronicle Books, gaining experience in design-led business operations. In 2007-2008, facing rent struggles with roommate Brian Chesky during a design conference in San Francisco, Gebbia proposed renting out air mattresses in their apartment, joined by developer Nathan Blecharczyk to build the initial website 'AirBed & Breakfast.' This evolved into Airbnb.com by 2009, expanding from air beds to full properties worldwide. The company overcame early challenges, including selling novelty cereal to fund operations, and scaled after Y Combinator acceptance and Sequoia Capital investment, reaching millions of listings in over 220 countries. Gebbia stepped down from Airbnb's full-time operations in July 2022 but remains on its board. That year, he launched Samara (formerly an Airbnb R&D unit) with its first product, the net-zero Backyard ADU tiny house, focused on housing flexibility, economic empowerment, and sustainability. He joined Tesla's board in September 2022, acquired a minority stake in the San Antonio Spurs, and chairs Airbnb.org. In 2025, President Donald Trump appointed him as the first Chief Design Officer to lead the National Design Studio at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Gebbia has spoken globally on entrepreneurship and design at events like TED, Wired, and Fast Company, earning accolades such as Inc. 30 under 30. He supports philanthropy through the Giving Pledge, board roles at RISD, Olympic Refuge Foundation, UNHCR, Tent.org, and Malala Fund, and projects like refurbishing a basketball court with Kevin Durant.