# Perry Chen

> Perry Chen is an American artist and the founder of Kickstarter, which he launched with Yancey Strickler and Charles Adler in 2009 after conceiving the idea in New Orleans in 2001. A former CEO and chair, he led the company’s 2015 conversion to a Public Benefit Corporation. Based in Paris, his art examines complex systems, uncertainty and social exchange; in February 2026 he was named among the investors in music collectibles platform Wax Poetics.

- **Role:** Artist at Perry Chen Studio; founder of Kickstarter
- **Organizations:** Perry Chen Studio, Kickstarter, Southfirst, Wax Poetics (investor), Knight Commission on Trust, Media and Democracy
- **From:** New York, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Hunter College High School, Tulane University
- **Known for:** Created and co-founded Kickstarter., Led Kickstarter’s 2015 Public Benefit Corporation conversion., Named to TIME’s 100 most influential people in 2013.

## Career timeline

- **2001** — Co-founded Southfirst gallery in Brooklyn and exhibited Virus; conceived Kickstarter later that year while living in New Orleans.
- **2005** — Met Yancey Strickler after returning to Brooklyn; they began working on the funding idea together.
- **2007** — Charles Adler joined the founding team.
- **2009** — Launched Kickstarter with Strickler and Adler on April 28.
- **2010** — Became a TED Fellow.
- **2013** — Named to TIME 100; stepped down as Kickstarter CEO at year’s end to focus on creative work.
- **2014** — Became Kickstarter chair; undertook a Mexico City residency and presented Computers in Crisis, including Y2K+15 at the New Museum.
- **2015** — Spearheaded Kickstarter’s conversion to a Public Benefit Corporation.
- **2016** — Became an MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow; The Club operated in Greenpoint in 2016-17.
- **2017** — Returned as Kickstarter CEO; released Bridge to a Bad Star and joined the Knight Commission.
- **2018** — Received the Center for Democracy & Technology’s Digital Visionary Award.
- **2019** — Stepped away from Kickstarter’s daily operations as CEO, remaining chair at that time.
- **2020** — Created Significant Exchange, a giving ritual for twenty people; made the works in Perpetual Novelty.
- **2021** — Perpetual Novelty opened online through Nature Morte in January.
- **2026** — Named among investors in Wax Poetics’ $1 million funding round announced in February.

## Achievements

- Created and co-founded Kickstarter.
- Led Kickstarter’s 2015 Public Benefit Corporation conversion.
- Named to TIME’s 100 most influential people in 2013.
- TED Fellow, 2010; MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, 2016.
- Received the Center for Democracy & Technology’s Digital Visionary Award in 2018.
- Presented Computers in Crisis with the New Museum, Rhizome and Creative Time Reports.

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Wax Poetics announced a $1 million funding round with Chen among its investors; his individual investment amount was not disclosed.
- **2021-01** — His solo exhibition Perpetual Novelty opened online at Nature Morte; he launched related conversations, including one with Walter Isaacson.

## Links

- Website: https://www.perrychenstudio.com/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/perrychen

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/perry-chen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15