As a designer, entrepreneur and the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Airbnb, Joe Gebbia helped redesign the way the world travels and people connect.

Why you should listen

When Joe Gebbia first envisioned Airbnb in his living room in 2007, his motivation was simple -- to pay his rent. Starting as a simple room-sharing service, Joe and co-founders Brian Chesky and Nathan Blecharczyk turned Airbnb into a major disruptive force for the hospitality industry, creating a new economy for millions of people in 190 countries around the world.

Gebbia serves as a part-time design partner at Y Combinator, the prestigious startup incubator that helped launch Airbnb. He earned dual degrees in Graphic Design and Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he now serves on the institution's Board of Trustees. He plays a leading role in shaping Airbnb’s future innovation, distinctive culture, and design aesthetic, and through his work, seeks to expand the richness of human connection in the world.

What others say

“Rather than being just a utility through which to rent someone's spare bedroom in a pinch, Airbnb has transformed itself into a hub of vacation dreams.” — Fast Company, February 11, 2013

Joe Gebbia’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Joe Gebbia

In Brief

A noninvasive method for deep brain stimulation, a new class of Emerging Explorers, and much more

June 16, 2017

As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights. Surface-level brain stimulation. The delivery of an electric current to the part of the brain involved in movement control, known as deep brain stimulation, is sometimes used to treat people with Parkinson’s disease, depression, epilepsy and obsessive compulsive disorder. […]

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