Today, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky joined Operation HOPE’s founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Hope Bryant for a fireside chat on the power of entrepreneurship at the annual HOPE Global Forum in Atlanta.
Since its founding, Airbnb has been a powerful economic empowerment tool, with Hosts around the globe earning more than $180 billion collectively to date. Airbnb has long worked to help communities benefit from the power of hosting, and over the last several years, has undertaken a series of initiatives to support communities of color, including Black and Latino Hosts, to benefit from the economic opportunities of hosting.
During his fireside chat, Brian discussed how impactful these efforts can be, and to support this work, announced that Airbnb is proudly joining Operation HOPE’s 1 Million Black Businesses (1MBB) initiative and continuing to grow the number of Hosts who identify as Black or African-American on the platform. Launched by the nonprofit Operation HOPE in 2020, the 1MBB initiative aims to start, grow, and scale 1 million Black businesses in the United States by 2030.
Together, Airbnb and Operation HOPE will promote the economic benefits of hosting and ensure prospective and current Hosts have access to Operation HOPE’s financial services tools, which provide critical insight and guidance for individuals who are starting a business or exploring new ways to earn extra income. Additionally, Airbnb will partner with Operation HOPE to host programs as part of the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy, an entrepreneurship development program focused on introducing people, including those from diverse and historically underrepresented communities, to hosting on our platform.
This partnership builds on Airbnb’s longstanding work to broaden the communities that benefit from the economic opportunities created by tourism and hosting on Airbnb. This includes partnering with organizations like the NAACP, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Hispanic Wealth Project to ensure more Black and Latino communities hear about the economic opportunities available on Airbnb, maintaining a team dedicated to recruiting Hosts from diverse communities, and continuing to expand the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy.
It also follows collaboration between Operation HOPE and Airbnb.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to providing free, temporary housing in times of crisis. In October, Operation Hope helped refer people displaced by the Maui wildfires to Airbnb.org for free, emergency housing.
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