Joe Gebbia, a co-founder of Airbnb, has announced his decision to step down from his leadership roles at the global hospitality platform.
Currently, Gebbia leads Samara, Airbnb's future-orientated product development team, and is the Chairman of Airbnb.org, an independently operated non-profit that connects people in crisis with places to stay. He will continue to sit on the Board of Directors of both Airbnb and Airbnb.org and serve as an advisor to the company on its roadmap, future concepts, and creative culture.
In a letter to employees, Gebbia said the primary reason for his transition is "that this is the only company I've ever helped build, and my brain is bursting with more ideas to bring to the world." He added that his first move will be to focus on being a father before working on other projects, which include "a complementary product to Airbnb, documentary filmmaking, and various philanthropic initiatives."
Gebbia steps away from Airbnb's executive team after helping steer its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the company's most strenuous periods to date.
During the pandemic, Gebbia spearheaded Airbnb's ongoing efforts to house displaced people and gave Airbnb hosts the ability to provide free housing to healthcare workers. These efforts culminated in Gebbia formally founding Airbnb.org in December 2020. Since then, the 501(c)3 organization has provided housing to more than 20,000 Afgan refugees.
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