Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is a nationally recognized leader in public policy, urban innovation, and civic engagement. As Chair of Airbnb’s Housing Council, she guides the company’s strategic engagement with leading housing experts and organizations to explore bold, equitable solutions to the housing affordability crisis. Under her leadership, the Council advises on initiatives to expand long-term housing supply and develop thoughtful policy frameworks that balance the benefits of home sharing with the needs of local communities. Rawlings-Blake previously served as the 49th Mayor of Baltimore, where she led one of the most transformative economic revivals in the city’s recent history. Her fiscally responsible governance resulted in Baltimore earning its highest bond rating in over four decades, the implementation of historic school funding reforms, and a 30% drop in unemployment. She also drove down crime rates to their lowest levels in 50 years while managing a $2.4 billion budget and a workforce of more than 15,000 employees. She has held national leadership roles as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors—the first and only Black woman elected to the position—and as Secretary of the Democratic National Committee, where she gavelled in the 2016 Democratic National Convention. A sought-after commentator on politics and public affairs, Rawlings-Blake has appeared on ABC, BBC, and MSNBC. She holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and A J.D. from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. She is the proud mother of a daughter who will soon graduate from Spelman College.