Kindred's Women Circle Makes Home-Swapping Safer

Imagine traveling the world without hotel bills by simply swapping homes with other travelers who share your values.

Kindred, a platform founded in 2021, has cracked the code on affordable travel by letting members exchange their actual homes when they're away. Instead of paying for accommodations, travelers earn credits by hosting others and spend those credits on their own trips. The only costs? Cleaning fees and a small service fee to Kindred.

The company just raised $125 million and now serves over 350,000 members across more than 150 cities. More than 90% of listings are people's primary homes, not investment properties, which means trust matters more than ever.

That's where the new innovation comes in. Kindred just launched "Circles," special communities within the platform where people with shared identities can connect. The first Circle is designed for women and nonbinary travelers who want the peace of mind that comes from staying with others who understand their unique safety concerns.

"It's all about trust," says cofounder and CEO Justine Palefsky. "This only works if people are comfortable letting each other into their real primary residence, and that's a vulnerable thing to do."

The platform requires homes to meet minimum standards verified through photos. Nobody else can be present during guest stays, so there are no awkward encounters with hosts or roommates. Kindred provides damage protection and supplemental liability insurance, though members must carry their own homeowners or renters policies.

Why This Inspires

This approach flips the script on travel affordability without sacrificing quality or safety. While hotels lack home amenities and crowd tourist areas, and short-term rentals come with unpredictable experiences, Kindred offers authentic stays in residential neighborhoods where people actually live.

The Women Traveler Circle takes it further by acknowledging that feeling safe while traveling looks different for different people. Members can share travel tips, build relationships before swapping, and create a network of homes where they know they'll be understood and respected.

Palefsky developed the idea after organizing home swaps with friends using spreadsheets, realizing the model could work at scale if built on genuine human connection.

With hundreds of thousands of members already trusting each other with their homes, Kindred is proving that community and affordability can coexist in travel.