Couchsurfing Headquarters is saying farewell – for now – to two members of our staff. Massimo Bennardo and Martina Steinman both left their full time positions with the company this month, and we wanted to take a moment to thank them for their huge contribution to the company’s work over the last two years.
They’re both still part of Couchsurfing’s extended family and we hope you run into them as they travel around the world over the next few months on their own individual adventures. Even if you don’t cross paths with one or both of them in some corner of the globe, you’ll continue hearing their voices throughout the community.
Massimo joined us at a critical time in Couchsurfing’s history, and as the company matures he has been a powerful and ongoing voice for the community’s values. But you also can’t keep him sitting still in a chair at HQ in San Francisco! He will continue to be an important part of CSHQ’s extended community as he travels the world, and we look forward to having his help on various projects in the future.
Here’s Massimo in his own words: “The last year was the best of my entire life, it was great to work for the site I had been actively using for over 7 years. By far the best job I could have ever dreamed of! I will continue being an active Couchsurfer, hosting, surfing, attending and organizing events.”
Martina spent a year and a half here at headquarters serving as a bridge between the wide world of Couchsurfers and the day-to-day work of keeping the platform running. She translated across more than just languages, helping to build connections between members, staff and the community as a whole. She’s changing countries of residence so we weren’t able to keep her here at headquarters, but we’re deeply grateful for her work as community manager and we expect to collaborate with her in the future, too!
Our community team at HQ will be taking on Massimo and Martina’s workload in the near term and we’re always looking for new staff to support and celebrate Couchsurfing’s members. We’re a small team at Couchsurfing HQ and we’re committed to only hiring those who – like Martina and Massimo – demonstrate their belief in Couchsurfing’s values. We know how important it is to hire people who understand the community and host/surf themselves.
You can learn more about the Couchsurfing team here, and explore our current job openings in San Francisco. Keep an eye out, as there will be more opportunities added in the weeks and months to come.