When Tony Castellanos joined Nextdoor, he came in as Head of Talent. Over the years, he also built out our compensation function and led the evolution of that and our recruiting functions, as Nextdoor grew and became a public company. Along the way, he quietly transformed how the People team operates at this company, not by overhauling things all at once, but by asking harder questions about what the function was actually there to do.
Effective March 12th, Tony is Nextdoor's Executive Vice President, People.
Tony spent time earlier in his career at Google and Square, where he developed his instincts around talent strategy and business partnership. He came to Nextdoor with a point of view: that the People function should be embedded in the business as a strategic advisor, not sitting off to the side waiting to be consulted. That belief has shaped everything he's built here.
One of the things Tony has pushed hardest on is the role of AI across the People team. Under his leadership, Nextdoor has deployed AI across compensation, recruiting, and benefits, giving employees faster, more consistent support while freeing the People team to focus on the work that actually requires human judgment. He's been thoughtful about where technology adds real value and where it doesn't, and his approach reflects a conviction that the two aren't in tension: the more you use technology well, the more space you create for genuine human connection.
He's also a former athlete and coach, which comes through in how he thinks about teams. He brings people together around shared goals. That's been true at every stage of his career.
"We're entering an era where the people function isn't just enabling the business," Tony has said. "It's actively shaping its future." That's the kind of leader we need, and it's exactly who Tony is.
We're proud to announce this promotion and excited for what comes next.