Brooklyn, New York, United States, March 2025 – Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY), which operates two-sided online marketplaces connecting millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers across the globe, has announced the appointment of Rafe Colburn as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective May 5, 2025.
Colburn brings deep technology leadership experience to the role. He is currently serving as Chief Technology & Product Officer at Depop, where he has successfully scaled the technology team to support rapid growth and transformed the customer experience into one that is app-first and discovery-led. Prior to Depop, Colburn spent nearly a decade at Etsy, where he led engineering teams across a wide range of functions, including ads, marketing technology, seller experience, trust & safety, localization, and customer support during critical periods of growth and transformation.
“The magic of Etsy lies in our ability to leverage technology to forge meaningful human connections,” said Josh Silverman, Chief Executive Officer, Etsy. “During his time at both Depop and Etsy, Rafe has proven he can set a technical strategy that enables us to scale our impact and connect more buyers with our global community of sellers. He has a clear vision for creating shopping experiences that are highly differentiated, personalized, and relevant. I am thrilled to officially welcome Rafe to Etsy’s executive leadership team as we work to reignite growth and solidify Etsy as the starting point for special.”
“I’m honored to take on this role and work alongside Etsy’s talented team,” said Rafe Colburn, Chief Technology Officer, Etsy. “The technology landscape is particularly dynamic right now; AI is maturing at a rapid pace, presenting an incredible opportunity for us to transform the shopping experience, engage with buyers in more meaningful ways, and create more economic opportunities for our sellers.”
Colburn will be based at Etsy’s Brooklyn, NY headquarters and report directly to CEO Josh Silverman. He will also join the Etsy Executive Team.
Additionally, Peter Semple, currently Chief Marketing Officer of Depop, has been appointed Interim CEO of Depop, effective May 5, 2025. This transition follows the announcement that Kruti Patel Goyal, current CEO of Depop, will assume the role of President and Chief Growth Officer at Etsy.
Rafe Colburn currently serves as Chief Technology & Product Officer at Depop, where he leads the company’s product and design functions. Before Depop, Colburn was Vice President of Engineering at Etsy, responsible for several mission-critical areas, including ads, fulfillment, seller experience, international expansion, member services, and trust & safety. Earlier in his career, he served as Principal Engineer at IDology and consulted on web application development. He is a published author on topics related to web development.
About Etsy
Etsy, Inc. operates online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate buyers and creative sellers around the world. Guided by its mission to “Keep Commerce Human,” Etsy is committed to strengthening communities through the power of business and technology. Its flagship platform, Etsy.com, is the global destination for unique and handmade goods. Etsy’s “House of Brands” portfolio also includes Depop, a fashion resale marketplace, and Reverb, the largest online marketplace for music gear. Etsy, Inc. is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and was founded in 2005.
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