Perry Chen
Perry Chen is an artist. He is co-founder and Chairman of Kickstarter. He stepped down as CEO in October 2013. A guest on the How I Built This podcast, he uses technology to democratize creative work, and stresses community as the core of any successful Kickstarter campaign.
Perry Chen's Bio
Perry Chen is an American artist and entrepreneur best known as the creator and principal founder of Kickstarter, the pioneering crowdfunding platform for creative projects. Born July 15, 1976, in New York City, Chen came up with the idea for Kickstarter in 2001 and launched it in 2009 alongside co-founders Charles Adler and Yancey Strickler. He served as CEO from launch through 2013, then returned to the role from 2017 until March 2019, and continues to serve as chairman of Kickstarter's board. Before Kickstarter, Chen worked as a musician and conceptual artist, exploring technology and form through various mediums. His approach to entrepreneurship emphasizes community and patronage over pure commerce, positioning Kickstarter as a middle ground that creates value for both creators and supporters. Under his leadership, Kickstarter became the largest funding platform for creative projects worldwide, funding over 155,000 projects and earning recognition from The New York Times as "the people's NEA" and from Time magazine as one of the "Best Inventions of 2010."
Career Timeline
1994 — Early artistic and technical exploration
Began exploring the intersection of art and technology, laying groundwork for future creative ventures.
2009 — Co-founded Kickstarter
Launched Kickstarter with Charles Adler and Yancey Strickler, creating the largest crowdfunding platform for creative projects.
2010 — Time Best Inventions of 2010 at Kickstarter
Kickstarter named one of Time magazine's Best Inventions of the year.
2013 — Stepped down as Kickstarter CEO
Left the CEO role to Yancey Strickler and transitioned to chairman of the board.
2017 — Returned as Kickstarter CEO
Reassumed the CEO role and led the company until March 2019.
