We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kate Almeda a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

When people think of Airbnb today, they often picture full-time, entire-home rentals in vacation destinations. But the company’s roots are much humbler—three guys trying to make rent by hosting guests on air mattresses in their apartment. That original spirit of home sharing is at the heart of Host With Kate.

I focus on helping everyday people—teachers, single parents, retirees, and young professionals—who want to share part of their home as a furnished rental to supplement their income. Many of them are navigating rising housing costs, stagnant wages, or life transitions that make extra income a necessity, not a luxury.

One of my Hosts, Walker, rents a private room in his house as well as the entire house when he travels. Walker is aspiring to be a full-time artist. The sharing economy allows him to share his art with travelers and fund trips to share his art with a broader audience. Another host, Paula, rents a private guest suite attached to her home. The extra income helps pay the mortgage.

The cost of living is a challenge, but I show people how to get creative with what they already have. By empowering them with knowledge and support, I help them tap into a resource they didn’t even realize could change their financial future—their own home.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

With a life mission to connect people through creative spaces, my journey began in event management. By 18, I was hosting concerts, and by 20, I was tour managing on the largest traveling U.S. music festival (The Vans Warped Tour).

When I discovered Airbnb in 2014, it completely transformed my career. Hosting gave me the opportunity to design welcoming spaces, connect with people from all over the world, and embrace entrepreneurship in a way I never expected. What started as a side project quickly turned into a passion for hospitality, design, and community building.

Now, as a 22x Airbnb Superhost with over 2,000 5-star reviews, I focus on empowering new hosts. I worked as a Host Advisor out of Airbnb’s global headquarters and have personally onboarded more than 1,300 hosts as an Airbnb Ambassador. I’ve led 170+ webinars for Airbnb and serve as an Educator for Airbnb’s Entrepreneurship Academy and Airbnb-Friendly Apartments program, helping everyday people turn their homes into sources of income. Note – I am an Independent Contractor through my business, Host With Kate, not an employee of Airbnb.

Beyond education, I’m passionate about fostering connection and advocating for home sharing. As a Host Community Leader for Central Virginia, I organize online and offline events to support local hosts. In 2024, I worked alongside fellow hosts to successfully advocate for two statewide bills in Virginia, making home sharing more accessible for homeowners and tenants alike.

My long-term goal is to collaborate with city tourism boards to promote responsible home sharing leading up to large-scale events, ensuring both communities and visitors benefit from short-term rentals. At my core, I believe home sharing isn’t just about renting a space—it’s about creating meaningful connections, supporting financial independence, and helping people open their homes (and lives) to new possibilities.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Shawn Achor’s TED Talk, The Happy Secret to Better Work, significantly impacted my management and entrepreneurial philosophy. In it, Achor challenges the conventional belief that success leads to happiness and instead argues that happiness fuels success. This idea completely shifted my perspective on productivity, leadership, and business growth.

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up in goal-setting, chasing the next milestone, and thinking that once I achieve X, then I’ll feel successful or fulfilled. Achor’s research flips that mindset—showing that by prioritizing positivity, gratitude, and resilience in the present, we can actually increase our performance, creativity, and ability to solve problems.

I’ve applied this philosophy to my work in hospitality and education. When mentoring new Airbnb hosts, I emphasize the importance of mindset—not just logistics and numbers. Hosts who approach their business with excitement, curiosity, and a genuine desire to create great experiences tend to have more success than those solely focused on revenue. The same applies to community-building—people are drawn to energy, enthusiasm, and generosity, which is why I focus on fostering a supportive and collaborative network for hosts.

On a personal level, Achor’s message also helps me stay grounded in the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Rather than viewing setbacks as failures, I see them as learning opportunities. I make it a habit to reflect on small wins, practice gratitude, and seek out ways to bring joy into my work—because success isn’t just about hitting business goals; it’s about enjoying the journey along the way.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

My very first Airbnb listing was a private room in my primary residence. I didn’t know it at the time, but that small decision would completely change the trajectory of my career. I quickly fell in love with hosting—not just the financial benefits, but the creativity, hospitality, and connections that came with it.

Wanting to take things further, I moved to sunny San Diego, California, determined to become a full-time Superhost. I was lucky enough to find a landlady who allowed me to home share, and from there, my business started to take off. Within a couple of years, I was managing 10 unique rental properties, including surf shacks, yachts, and floating homes. Each listing had its own personality and challenges, but I loved every second of it—curating guest experiences, optimizing spaces, and learning the ins and outs of short-term rental management.

As I gained more experience, I realized my passion wasn’t just in hosting—it was in helping others do the same. I saw so many people who wanted to start hosting but felt overwhelmed by the process. That’s when I shifted my focus from managing properties to mentoring hosts. I became a Host Advisor, working directly with Airbnb to onboard new hosts, and eventually launched Host With Kate to provide education, guidance, and community for aspiring and experienced hosts alike.

Some of my key milestones along the way:

– Managing a diverse portfolio of properties in San Diego, learning firsthand what works (and what doesn’t) in short-term rentals.
– Becoming an Airbnb Ambassador and Host Advisor, where I’ve helped over 1,300 hosts get started on the platform.
– Leading 170+ webinars directly through Airbnb, sharing insider knowledge and strategies with thousands of hosts worldwide.

What started as a simple side hustle—a spare room in my home—has now become my full-time career, allowing me to help others find financial freedom and create meaningful guest experiences. Looking back, I never could have predicted where that first Airbnb booking would lead, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hostwithkate.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hostwithkate
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/hostwithkate
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/katelynalmeda

Image Credits

Jenna Emerson (photo of Kate at the door, in front of gallery wall, at desk)
Becky Soto (guest house photos)
Carmeon Hamilton (zoom meeting)