Rob Forbes's career includes work in the arts and business fields alike. He is best known for founding Design Within Reach (DWR) in 1998 and providing the vision for a business that has grown to become the leading retail destination in the United States for modern design.

Forbes also initiated numerous programs at DWR that ranged from chair design contests and using champagne hardware, public conferences that link designer to manufacturers, and hundreds of community-based events.

He is well known for DWR publishing activities, including reissuing George Nelson's book, How to See, and the online weekly newsletter Design Notes that includes an international circulation.

His curriculum vitae includes a BA in aesthetics from the University of California at Santa Cruz (1974), an MFA from Alfred University (1979), and an MBA from Stanford University (1985).

Prior to DWR, Forbes's professional experience includes ceramics arts studio work in the United States and abroad, as well as retail management for Williams-Sonoma, London-based Selfridges, The Nature Company, and Smith & Hawken.

In July 2007 Rob officially departed from DWR to launch San Francisco-based Studio Forbes, which will further his interests in design, culture, and commerce.

MBA from Stanford University

MFA from Alfred University

BA in aesthetics from the University of California at Santa Cruz