Joe Gebbia

Joe Gebbia
Born	Joseph Gebbia Jr. 21 08, 1981
Birthplace	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Designer, entrepreneur
Title	1st Chief Design Officer of the United States
Known for	Co-founder of Airbnb
Education	Rhode Island School of Design (BFA)
Spouse(s)	Isabelle Boemeke
Children	1
Awards	Forbes Billionaires List (2015)
Website	[[joegebbia.com joegebbia.com] Official site]

Joseph Gebbia Jr. (born August 21, 1981) is an American designer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Airbnb, the online marketplace for short-term lodging and travel experiences. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Gebbia studied at the Rhode Island School of Design before relocating to San Francisco, where he and former roommate Brian Chesky launched the platform that would transform the global hospitality industry. Beyond Airbnb, Gebbia has extended his career into corporate governance, venture investment, philanthropy, and public service. He joined the board of directors of Tesla, Inc. in 2022 and purchased a minority ownership stake in the San Antonio Spurs basketball team that same year. He also co-founded Samara, a startup focused on accessory dwelling units. In early 2025, Gebbia began working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and on August 21, 2025, President Donald Trump appointed him as the first Chief Design Officer of the United States, tasking him with leading a newly established National Design Studio aimed at redesigning the federal government's digital services and user experiences. His appointment and subsequent work have drawn both interest and skepticism from the design community and government technology observers.

Early Life

Joseph Gebbia Jr. was born on August 21, 1981, in Atlanta, Georgia. Details regarding his parents and family upbringing remain limited in publicly available sources, though his career trajectory suggests an early interest in design and creative problem-solving. Gebbia grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area before pursuing higher education in art and design at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Education

Gebbia attended the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), one of the most prominent art and design schools in the United States, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. It was at RISD that Gebbia met Brian Chesky, who would become his co-founder at Airbnb. The two became roommates and developed a close working relationship that would later form the foundation of their entrepreneurial partnership. Gebbia's design education informed much of the product thinking and user-experience philosophy that characterized Airbnb's platform in its early years.

Career

Founding of Airbnb

After graduating from RISD, Gebbia relocated to San Francisco. In 2007, Gebbia and Chesky, who were roommates in the city, faced difficulty paying their rent. When a major design conference came to San Francisco and local hotels were fully booked, the two conceived the idea of renting out air mattresses in their apartment to conference attendees, offering breakfast as part of the package. This concept—"Air Bed and Breakfast"—became the genesis of Airbnb.

Together with Nathan Blecharczyk, who joined as the third co-founder and chief technology officer, Gebbia and Chesky officially launched Airbnb in 2008. The platform allowed property owners to list spare rooms, apartments, and homes for short-term rental, connecting them with travelers seeking alternatives to traditional hotel accommodations. Gebbia's role in the early years was shaped by his design background; he contributed to the company's product design, branding, and user experience. One notable initiative under Gebbia's direction was Airbnb's photography program, which provided professional photography services to hosts in order to improve listing quality and attract more bookings.

The company grew rapidly over the following years, expanding from a handful of listings in San Francisco to millions of properties worldwide. Airbnb went public in December 2020, in one of the year's most closely watched initial public offerings. The IPO took place despite significant disruptions to the travel industry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Airbnb's shares surged on its first day of trading.

Role at Airbnb and Transition

Gebbia served in various leadership capacities at Airbnb from its founding through the company's growth into a global platform. He was listed among the company's board of directors, a position he continues to hold. However, Gebbia has not been involved in the day-to-day operations of Airbnb since 2022, stepping back from an active management role while retaining his board seat. His departure from operational duties coincided with his expanding portfolio of investments and new ventures.

Samara

Gebbia co-founded Samara, a startup focused on the design and construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The venture reflected Gebbia's continued interest in the intersection of design, housing, and technology. Samara aimed to address housing challenges by offering streamlined, design-forward solutions for adding living spaces to existing residential properties. The company represented a natural extension of the Airbnb ethos—rethinking how people use and share residential spaces.

Tesla Board Membership

In 2022, Gebbia joined the board of directors of Tesla, Inc., the electric vehicle and clean energy company led by Elon Musk. His appointment to the Tesla board added design and consumer-product expertise to the company's governance structure. Gebbia's dual board membership at both Airbnb and Tesla placed him at the intersection of two of the most prominent technology companies in the United States.

San Antonio Spurs

Also in 2022, Gebbia purchased a minority ownership stake in the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The investment marked Gebbia's entry into professional sports ownership.

Department of Government Efficiency and Chief Design Officer

In early 2025, Gebbia began working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the government modernization initiative established during the second Trump administration. His initial work with DOGE focused on modernizing retirement processes at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

On August 21, 2025—his 44th birthday—President Donald Trump appointed Gebbia as the first Chief Design Officer of the United States, a newly created position. Gebbia was tasked with leading the National Design Studio, a new entity within the federal government charged with redesigning the government's digital interfaces and citizen-facing services.

In an interview with Axios, Gebbia described the goal of the initiative as creating an "Apple Store-like experience" for government websites, emphasizing improved usability and user satisfaction in citizens' interactions with federal agencies. He stated that his work was aimed at making government services more "satisfying" and "delightful" for users.

The appointment generated significant attention from the design and technology communities. The New York Times reported that some of Gebbia's peers in the design industry expressed skepticism about the role and its scope. Fast Company published a critical assessment of the position, characterizing Gebbia's role as part of a broader effort to reshape the government's digital design agencies. The appointment came after the Trump administration had made changes to existing federal digital service organizations, including the United States Digital Service and 18F, which had previously handled government technology and design work.

By early 2026, the National Design Studio had begun work on redesigning federal websites. Gebbia stated that the work should not be considered controversial, though the team's approach raised questions among government technology observers about shifts in the federal design ethos and about the intended audience for the redesigned services.

Philanthropy

Gebbia has been involved in several philanthropic initiatives. In August 2021, following the fall of Kabul and the subsequent refugee crisis in Afghanistan, Airbnb announced that it would provide free temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees globally. Gebbia was associated with the company during this initiative. Gebbia also launched a refugee fund and made a personal donation of $5 million in support of refugee assistance efforts.

Gebbia's philanthropic activities extended to participation in The Audacious Project, a collaborative funding initiative associated with TED. The project announced grants totaling $406 million, and Gebbia was among the participants in the initiative.

He has also been involved with the Clinton Foundation, participating in initiatives focused on girls, women, and the global goals.

Gebbia was recognized among major charitable donors in the United States, with The Chronicle of Philanthropy including him on a list alongside figures such as Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, and Michael Bloomberg.

Political Activity

In October 2025, Gebbia donated a total of $2 million to super PACs supporting Andrew Cuomo's independent candidacy, according to a report by Yahoo News. The donation was notable given Gebbia's simultaneous role as a Trump administration official.

Personal Life

Gebbia married Isabelle Boemeke, and the couple has one child. He was photographed attending the Met Gala in May 2017 alongside Yeonmi Park. He has been featured in lifestyle and fashion publications, including Vogue and Haute Living, where he was profiled as part of a feature on his desk and workspace.

Gebbia has also been involved in film production. He was associated with the documentary Universe, which received a review from The Hollywood Reporter. He was also connected to a documentary about the Refugee Olympic Team, directed by Oscar nominee Waad al-Kateab.

Recognition

In 2015, Gebbia was included on the Forbes annual list of the world's billionaires, as part of the magazine's 29th annual edition of the ranking. His inclusion on the list reflected the growth in valuation of Airbnb, which by that time had become one of the most prominent technology companies in the sharing economy.

Gebbia's 2017 interview on NPR's How I Built This provided a detailed account of Airbnb's origin story and early challenges, becoming one of the program's notable episodes.

His appointment as the first Chief Design Officer of the United States in 2025 brought renewed attention to his career and design philosophy. The role was covered extensively by The New York Times, Fast Company, Axios, FedScoop, and Nextgov/FCW, among other publications.