Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY), which operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world, today announced the appointment of Rafe Colburn as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective May 5, 2025.
Colburn brings a wealth of technology leadership experience to the role. He currently serves as Chief Technology & Product Officer at Depop, where he has successfully scaled the technology team to support rapid growth and transformed the customer experience to one that is more app-based and discovery-centric. Prior to Depop, Colburn spent nearly 10 years at Etsy, where he led engineering teams during periods of significant growth and transformation across a wide range of critical areas, including ads, marketing technology, seller experience, trust & safety, localization and translation, and customer support.
“The magic of Etsy lies in our ability to leverage technology to forge meaningful human connections,” said Josh Silverman, Chief Executive Officer of 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. “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 out of Etsy’s Brooklyn, NY headquarters. He will report to Etsy’s CEO Josh Silverman and be part of Etsy’s Executive Team.
Additionally, Peter Semple has been appointed interim CEO of Depop, also effective May 5, 2025. Semple currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer of Depop and has been with the brand since 2019. As previously announced, Depop’s current CEO, Kruti Patel Goyal, is transitioning to the role of President and Chief Growth Officer at Etsy. Semple will lead Depop on an interim basis until the company identifies its next leader.
Rafe Colburn Biography
Rafe Colburn currently serves as Chief Technology & Product Officer at Depop. In this role, he is responsible for Depop’s product & design function, driving the vision for Depop’s end-to-end user experience while building a high-performing product organization.
Prior to Depop, Colburn served as Vice President of Engineering at Etsy, and was responsible for Etsy’s Ads, Fulfilment, Seller Experience, Marketing Technology, and Landing Experience teams. During his tenure, he established Etsy’s Data Engineering team, and was responsible for Payments and Checkout, Compliance, International, Member Services, and Trust & Safety engineering.
Earlier in his career, Colburn was the Principal Engineer at IDology and worked as a consultant at a number of firms building custom applications. He has authored numerous articles, papers, and books on Web development.
About Etsy
Etsy, Inc. operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world. These marketplaces share a mission to “Keep Commerce Human,” and we’re committed to using the power of business and technology to strengthen communities and empower people. Our primary marketplace, Etsy.com, is the global destination for unique and creative goods. Buyers come to Etsy to be inspired and delighted by items that are crafted and curated by creative entrepreneurs. For sellers, we offer a range of tools and services that address key business needs.
Etsy, Inc.’s “House of Brands” portfolio also includes fashion resale marketplace Depop, and Reverb, the largest online marketplace dedicated to music gear. Each Etsy, Inc. marketplace operates independently, while benefiting from shared expertise in product, marketing, technology, and customer support.
Etsy was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.
Etsy has used, and intends to continue using, its Investor Relations website and the Etsy News Blog (etsy.com/news) to disclose material non-public information and to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor our investor relations website and the Etsy News Blog in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts.
