Steve Huffman

Steve Huffman is a web developer and co-founder and CEO of Reddit, a social news and discussion website, which ranks in the top 20 websites in the world. He also co-founded the airfare search engine website Hipmunk, which shut down in 2020.

Huffman grew up in Warrenton, Virginia, and developed an early interest in computers and programming. He pursued a degree in computer science at the University of Virginia, where he met Alexis Ohanian, his future business partner. In 2005, Huffman and Ohanian founded Reddit, initially envisioned as a simple web-based application for users to share and discuss content. The platform quickly gained traction, becoming known as "the front page of the internet" due to its diverse range of user-generated content and active communities. Reddit was acquired by Condé Nast in 2006, though Huffman and Ohanian continued to be involved in its development.

After leaving Reddit in 2009, Huffman co-founded Hipmunk, a travel search site, where he served as Chief Technology Officer. However, in 2015, Huffman returned to Reddit as CEO, tasked with revitalizing the platform amid various challenges, including issues related to content moderation and user experience. Under his leadership, Reddit has undergone significant changes, including a site-wide redesign, the introduction of new features, and a stronger focus on community guidelines to foster a more welcoming environment. His efforts have driven Reddit's growth, transforming the platform into a vital hub for online discussion and community-building, with hundreds of millions of active users.