About
Joe Gebbia co-founded Airbnb in 2008 with his RISD classmate Brian Chesky and Nathan Blecharczyk, and led design and the Samara innovation studio through the 2020 IPO. He stepped back from full-time work in 2022, remains on Airbnb's board, and joined Tesla's board in 2022. He co-founded the backyard-home company Samara.
Co-founder at AirbnbYC W09
Intro paths
YC
Joe went through Y Combinator (Winter 2009) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
GP
Their group partner at YC was Garry Tan, President & CEO of Y Combinator — the partner who ran Airbnb's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Joe can intro founders to Airbnb's investors below.
Airbnb's investors · 64
137 VenturesSan FranciscoA.Capital VenturesSan FranciscoA*San Francisco · $500K – $3M checksACE & CompanyNew YorkACME CapitalSan FranciscoAglae VenturesParis · $108K – $5.4M checksAllied Venture PartnersCalgary · $100K – $350K checksAltos VenturesBurlingame · $1M – $3M checksAmakor$25M – $200M checksAmity VenturesSan Francisco · $1M – $5M checksAndreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2019Axel Springer Digital VenturesBerlinBand of AngelsSilicon ValleyBetaworksNew York · $250K – $750K checksBezos ExpeditionsCapitalGSan Francisco · $50M – $100M checksCraft VenturesSan Francisco · $50K – $50M checksCrunchFundElad GilSan Francisco · $100K – $10M checksEniac VenturesNew York · $1.2M checksEQUIAMSan Francisco · $1M – $10M checksFelicis VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $15M checksFirstMark CapitalNew York · $500K – $8M checksFJ LabsNew York · $100K – $3M checksFounders FundSan Francisco · $500K – $5M checksG SquaredChicagoGeneral AtlanticNew York · $10M – $1B checksGeneral CatalystSan Francisco · $30M checksGeodesic CapitalFoster CityGreylock PartnersSan Francisco · $100K – $200M checksHillhouse CapitalChangyang · $2.9M – $220M checksHuangpu River CapitalShanghaiICONIQSan FranciscoInvestXVancouverJazzya InvestmentsAlcobendasJuniperoMiamiK2 GlobalSingaporeK3 VenturesSingapore · $1.2M – $42M checksKleiner PerkinsMenlo Park · $500K – $15M checksManhattan Venture PartnersNew YorkMetaPropNew York · $100K – $1M checksMetaProp VenturesNew YorkMighty CapitalSan FranciscoMSA NovoSingapore · $1.5M – $32M checksNextEquity PartnersMenlo ParkNight CapitalCapitolaNotable CapitalSilicon Valley · $5M – $50M checksPrime VenturesAmsterdam · $5.4M – $16.2M checksRaptor GroupMiami BeachSequoia CapitalMenlo Park · $4.4M – $214M checksSequoia Capital’s Scout programMenlo Park · $25K – $100K checksSilver Lake PartnersMenlo ParkSixth StreetSan Francisco · $50M – $2.5B checksSmile GroupSingaporeSound VenturesSanta MonicaStandard CapitalSan FranciscoSTS Ventures GmbHCologne · $220K – $1.1M checksSV AngelSan FranciscoSWaN & Legend Venture PartnersLeesburgTiger Global ManagementNew York · $1M – $100M checksTransmedia CapitalSan Francisco · $5M checksTuesday CapitalSan FranciscoWonder VenturesLos Angeles · $100K – $1.5M checksY CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2009
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Co-founders at Airbnb
Experience
- National Design StudioU.S. Chief Design Officercurrent2025 — present
- SamaraCo-Foundercurrent2022 — present
- TeslaBoard Membercurrent2022 — present
- AirbnbCo-Founder & Board Membercurrent2008 — present
- AirbnbDesign, Brand, Product, User Research, R&D2008 — 2022
- Rhode Island School of DesignBoard Member2013 — 2024
- CritBunsFounder & Lead Designer2005 — 2010
- Ecolect, Inc,Co-founder2006 — 2010
- Juice StudiosFounder2005 — 2009
- Chronicle BooksIndustrial Designer2006 — 2007
- Kaiju StudiosIndustrial Designer2005
- Item New Product DevelopmentIntern2005
- Critt Graham + AssociatesIntern2000
Education
- Rhode Island School of DesignBFA, Graphic + Industrial Design2000 — 2005
- Brown UniversityJoint classes
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyProduct Development
Skills & more
Brand Architecture4Keynote4User Interface22Storyboarding3Start-ups16Customer Experience3User Experience36Interaction Design12User Interface Design16Product Design69Information Architecture6Graphic Design56
+4 more
Industrial DesignDesign StrategyUser-centered DesignMobile ApplicationsFrom Joe's professional profile.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does Joe Gebbia work?
- Joe Gebbia is Co-founder at Airbnb.
- What companies did Joe Gebbia found?
- Joe Gebbia founded Airbnb.
Paths to reach Joe
People who overlapped with Joe at the same organization — a shared school or employer with one of them is a warm way in.
Together at AirbnbJoe: Co-founder
Alfred Lin2012–2026Partner at Sequoia CapitalHarvard University · Stuyvesant High SchoolBrian Chesky2008–2026Co-founder & CEO of AirbnbRhode Island School of DesignNathan Blecharczyk2008–2026Co-founder & CSO of AirbnbBoston Latin AcademyReid Hoffman2010–2020Co-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockBabson College · The Putney School · Università degli Studi di PerugiaHans Tung2015–2026Managing Partner at Notable CapitalPalos Verdes High SchoolKen Chenault2018–2026Investment Team at General CatalystBowdoin College · Harvard Law School
Together at TeslaJoe: Board Member
Founder mafias
Y Combinator mafia8,759
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Sam AltmanPresidentFounded Tools for Humanity +3Jessica LivingstonCo-founderFounded Y CombinatorAlexis OhanianYC Summer 2005Founded RedditFred EhrsamYC Summer 2012Founded CoinbaseMatt HuangYC Winter 2011Founded HotspotsTrae StephensYC Winter 2022Founded Pursuit +1
+ 8,752 more
Massachusetts Institute of Technology mafia540
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Elad GilPhDFounded Brain Co.Nat FriedmanBachelor of ScienceFounded XamarinMatt HuangB.S.Founded HotspotsDelian AsparouhovDropoutFounded Nightingale +1Drew HoustonBSFounded Dropbox +1Arash FerdowsiComputer ScienceFounded Dropbox
+ 533 more
Brown University mafia113
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Dylan FieldScBFounded FigmaPeter ThompsonBachelor's DegreeFounded Cleave Biosciences +4Grant VerstandigFounded Trase +3Sangeeta N. BhatiaBachelor of Science (BSc)Founded Port Therapeutics +3Sophie PurdomEnvironmental Science & EconomicsFounded Sightline Climate +1Naveen RaoPhDFounded Mosaic ML +1
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+ 106 more
Rhode Island School of Design mafia10
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Brian CheskyBachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)Founded AirbnbJohn XieFounded TaskadeEthan AndersonBachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)Founded FynnHarrison TelyanPre-College ProgramFounded FlowgladJeffrey LangeBachelor of Fine Arts - BFAFounded ScanbaseSparsh SharmaSTEAM Design StudioFounded Paasa
+ 3 more
Same school
Also attended Rhode Island School of Design17
Brian CheskyCo-founder & CEO of AirbnbErica VanInvestment Director at Intel CapitalJoe FlahertyDirector, Content & Community at Founder CollectiveZoe AngellInvestor at Third Rock VenturesRebecca SilverDirector at NYU Innovation Venture FundCaterina FakeInvestor at Yes VC
+ 11 more
Also attended Brown University395
Theresia GouwFounding Partner at Acrew CapitalDylan FieldCo-founder, CEO & Chair of FigmaAlexis AbramsPartner, General Counsel at Felicis VenturesJohn KimInvestor Relations at General CatalystAli Fisher SweetInvestor at Index VenturesMark GoldbergInvestor at Index Ventures
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+ 389 more
Also attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology1,291
Fred WilsonCo-founder & Partner at Union Square VenturesElad GilSolo general partner investing through Gil CapitalAileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesHemant TanejaCEO & Managing Director of General CatalystNat FriedmanCo-lead of Meta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDGBrad FeldCo-founder of Foundry and Techstars
+ 1,285 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Tesla184
Steve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesArpan ShahInvestor at Spark CapitalJustin LiuVice President at Sapphire VenturesErica WaichmanHead of People & Community at Canvas VenturesBen FawEntrepreneur-in-Residence at Context VenturesBrock CsiraInvestor at Matter Venture Partners
+ 178 more
Also worked at Airbnb146
Reid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia CapitalHans TungManaging Partner at Notable CapitalBrian CheskyCo-founder & CEO of AirbnbNathan BlecharczykCo-founder & CSO of AirbnbKen ChenaultInvestment Team at General Catalyst
+ 140 more
