“We started Airbnb because, like many across the U.S. and in New York, we were struggling to pay our rent and decided to open up our living room to fellow artists coming to town for a design conference. Sharing our apartment allowed us to stay in our home and start our company.”

American designer and entrepreneur

Joe Gebbia is an American designer and entrepreneur, known as a co-founder of Airbnb. In 2025, he joined the Department of Government Efficiency, and he was later appointed by President Donald Trump as the first Chief Design Officer to lead the National Design Studio. He built his reputation through Airbnb, the company he helped found, and later moved into public service and design leadership. The available facts place him at the intersection of technology, product design, and government work.