# Joel Simkhai

> Joel Simkhai is a New York-based technology entrepreneur who founded Grindr in 2009 and served as its original CEO until January 2018. Born in Tel Aviv and raised in New York, he studied economics and international relations at Tufts before working in finance, media and online marketing. He later co-founded Motto with Alex Hostetler; the app launched in 2022 and closed in September 2024. Public team recruitment posts identify him as a co-founder of Origin Social, an early-stage company exploring AI and human connection.

- **Role:** Co-founder at Origin Social
- **Organizations:** Origin Social, Grindr (founder and former CEO), Motto (co-founder; closed September 2024), Blendr (founder)
- **From:** Tel Aviv, Israel
- **Nationality:** Israeli-American-French
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts, International Relations and Economics, Tufts University
- **Known for:** Founded Grindr and served as its original CEO from 2009 to January 2018., Built a self-financed company that reported 3.5 million users in 192 countries at its third anniversary in March 2012., Supported LGBTQ rights organizing through Grindr for Equality.

## Career timeline

- **1998** — Graduated from Tufts University; subsequently worked in finance, media and a startup.
- **2003** — Started an internet marketing business.
- **2008** — Moved to Los Angeles in March and began developing Grindr; worked with Scott Lewallen and Morten Bek Ditlevsen.
- **2009** — Launched Grindr on March 25.
- **2011** — Launched Blendr, extending nearby social discovery beyond Grindr’s initial audience.
- **2016** — Kunlun bought a majority stake in Grindr for $93 million.
- **2018** — Left Grindr in January after Kunlun completed its acquisition.
- **2022** — Launched Motto with co-founder Alex Hostetler.
- **2024** — Motto ceased operations in September.

## Achievements

- Founded Grindr and served as its original CEO from 2009 to January 2018.
- Built a self-financed company that reported 3.5 million users in 192 countries at its third anniversary in March 2012.
- Supported LGBTQ rights organizing through Grindr for Equality.
- Co-founded Motto as an attempt to improve profile authenticity and interactions on queer dating apps.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Public recruitment posts reviewed this month identify Simkhai as a co-founder of Origin Social, an early-stage company building AI products for human connection; this is the research observation month, not a claimed company launch date.
- **2024-09** — Motto ceased operations.
- **2023-07** — Appeared on How I Built This with Guy Raz to discuss Grindr’s beginnings and growth.
- **2023-05** — Discussed Motto’s face-photo and verification requirements in an Out interview.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelsimkhai
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/joelsimkhai

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/joel-simkhai
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21