President Obama normalized relations with Cuba, opening the door for our creative idea to become the year’s biggest business idea. To make good on our beliefs as a brand and turn the tide with Airbnb skeptics, we had to think big. We had to make history. To do it, we went to a place we knew we didn’t currently belong. Cuba.

The idea was to bring two communities together to create a world where both belong––and reunite two neighboring countries during the longest running embargo in the world.

But as we worked towards that goal, history unfolded. And because we were already working towards entering Cuba, Airbnb was the first US hospitality company allowed back into the country after 50 years of separation.

Our PR launch plan hinged on working with the Associated Press for an exclusive, focusing on Airbnb being the first US company to successfully launch in Cuba with 1,000 listings available immediately on April 2nd. This became Airbnb’s most widely covered moment in the press.

After President Obama’s announcement, instead of imposing our identity on top of the Cuban culture, we partnered directly with the Cuban people. We engaged its network of casas particulares and in turn empowered entrepreneurs and communities across the country.

To continue momentum, when Brian was announced as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship for his “signature initiative” of supporting entrepreneurship in Cuba, we pushed this to press and generated an additional news cycle on our efforts in this area.

Two years ago, Airbnb was a travel and hospitality outsider, operating in legal grey area amongst mixed reactions, boycotts, and government opposition.

In a little over a year Airbnb’s listings in Cuba rose from 1,000 to 5,000, making it the company’s fastest growing market. And with 1,000 unique articles and over 2 billion impressions, it was the biggest earned media moment in the brand’s history.

Today, Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky, is a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, focusing efforts on Cuba and bringing Airbnb into a new era of legitimacy with a resounding endorsement from President Obama himself.

To date, Americans from all 50 states have visited Cuba with Airbnb, empowering Cuban hosts to earn 12x their average monthly salary.

Most importantly, the idea has helped connect two estranged countries, bringing us one step closer to a world where all 7 billion of us can truly belong anywhere.

Airbnb has played a significant role in the renewed diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba since expanding into the market one year ago, already having generated over 1,000 unique press articles and over 2 billion impressions.

For the millions U.S. travelers in Airbnb’s core demographic, travel isn’t an escape from everyday life. It is life. Travel gives them purpose, defining them and their world view.

For Airbnb to appeal to those travelers who believe in truly belonging anywhere, Cuba still remained one of the few places they might have felt they didn’t belong. The strategy was to enable Cuban hosts to welcome Americans into their homes and offer them a sense of true Cuban belonging.

After President Obama’s announcement, we had to act fast. Instead of imposing our identity on top of the Cuban culture, Airbnb’s strategy was to partner directly with the Cuban people, empowering entrepreneurs and communities across the country through its network of casas particulares.

Airbnb’s company mission is to create a world where all 7 billion of us can belong anywhere. But as a brand, Airbnb didn’t belong in Cuba. If the brand was to continue to champion belonging, we needed legitimacy first. Following President Obama’s announcement on December 17 to improve relations with Cuba, we quickly embraced the opportunity to reinforce our core belief of belonging by offering a way two neighbors can truly reunite.