Lantian “Jay” Graber, a 32-year-old software engineer, has become a central figure in the world of social media, as the CEO of Bluesky, a microblogging platform founded with a bold vision to change the way people interact online. Since taking the helm in 2021, Graber has been at the forefront of Bluesky’s evolution from a side project within Twitter to a growing independent platform that is challenging the status quo of traditional social media.

Born in 1991 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Graber’s background is as diverse as her career. Her mother, who hails from China, named her “Lantian,” meaning “blue sky” in Mandarin—a name that seems almost prophetic given her leadership of Bluesky, a platform that champions open and decentralized social media. Her father, a Swiss national, added further international influence to her upbringing, fostering an environment where multiple cultures and perspectives converged. This multicultural foundation, combined with a natural aptitude for technology, set the stage for Graber’s remarkable career in the tech world.

Graber attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Science, Technology, and Society. It was here that she first showed an interest in creating systems that could reshape how people connect and interact. One of her early achievements was winning a grant to develop a student time bank program, an initiative that allowed students to trade hours of work and services—a sign of her drive to innovate in social structures.

After graduating, Graber’s professional journey took her to Silicon Valley, where she worked as a software engineer for SkuChain in Mountain View, California. This role helped her hone her technical skills, but it was her next venture that laid the groundwork for her future in the world of blockchain and decentralised technologies. In 2015, Graber took a unique turn in her career, working in a factory in Moses Lake, Washington, where she was tasked with soldering bitcoin mining equipment. This experience marked the beginning of her deep engagement with cryptocurrency, a field that would later define much of her career.

By 2016, Graber was working as a junior developer for Zcash, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, where her expertise in blockchain technology began to shine. Zcash’s commitment to creating a secure and private digital currency aligned with Graber’s interest in building systems that prioritised user privacy and autonomy—principles that would become central to her work at Bluesky.

In 2019, Graber founded Happening, Inc., an event planning website that aimed to provide a better, more seamless way for people to organise and attend events. While the platform didn’t take off as hoped, it was a crucial part of her entrepreneurial journey, teaching her valuable lessons about user engagement and the importance of empowering individuals online. This experience would inform her later work in building social platforms that put users first.

It was in August 2021 that Graber’s career took a pivotal turn when she became the CEO of Bluesky. Initially conceived as a project within Twitter in 2019, Bluesky’s mission was to develop a decentralised social media protocol, one that would allow for more open and user-controlled communication online. The platform became independent shortly before Graber’s appointment as CEO, and since then, she has led Bluesky with a clear vision: to create a platform where users have control over their data and interactions, and where different online communities can coexist without the need for a corporate overlord like Twitter or Facebook.

The rise of Bluesky: A new era for social media

Bluesky has gained significant attention in recent years, particularly after the 2022 acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk. As Twitter’s future seemed uncertain under Musk’s leadership, many users began flocking to Bluesky as a promising alternative. Bluesky offers a refreshing change from the algorithm-driven, often chaotic nature of traditional social media platforms. Graber’s emphasis on decentralisation, where users and communities control their own data, has drawn praise for offering a more transparent and user-friendly alternative to the status quo.

As CEO, Graber has been vocal about her commitment to dismantling the monopolistic power of traditional social media giants. Her focus on decentralisation is not just a technical challenge but a philosophical one. By decentralising the platform, Bluesky aims to prevent any single entity from controlling the flow of information, offering users more autonomy over their online presence. It’s a stark contrast to the more familiar world of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where algorithms determine what users see and how they engage.

What sets Bluesky apart from Twitter?

Bluesky’s appeal lies in its refreshing approach to social media. Unlike Twitter, where posts are often buried under an elaborate algorithm designed to maximise engagement (and ad revenue), Bluesky allows users to see more of what they want to see, based on their own interests and who they follow. This means there’s less of the algorithmic “noise” that often drowns out organic posts on traditional platforms. As Forbes noted, Bluesky has gained a reputation for fostering more engaged users, with many finding the platform to be a more welcoming and pleasant alternative to Twitter, especially in the wake of the platform’s decline in user experience post-Musk acquisition.

Bluesky’s users are not only drawn to its user-centric design but also to its sense of community. Many early adopters of Bluesky, including some of the platform’s most active accounts, have a more left-leaning political stance. This has led to Bluesky being seen as a refuge for users who are looking for an alternative to what they perceive as the toxic environment that has developed on Twitter (now rebranded as X) since Musk’s takeover. The New York Times highlighted how Bluesky’s early users, many of whom have embraced the platform’s lighter, less combative tone, are sharing everything from playful cat videos to more serious political discussions, all while hoping the platform can offer a break from the misinformation and vitriol that has dominated Twitter in recent years.

Jay Graber’s vision for the future

For Graber, Bluesky represents more than just a new social media platform—it’s an opportunity to reshape the digital landscape. In her view, the future of social media lies in decentralisation, where users have control over their data and are no longer at the mercy of corporate-driven algorithms. It’s about creating a healthier online ecosystem, one that empowers users rather than exploiting them for profit. As she explained, “I have a deep appreciation for the complexity of university research commercialisation and I am excited to bring my academic and commercial experience to UniSA to work with its outstanding researchers and commercialisation team.”

Though she is leading a groundbreaking platform, Graber is known for her minimalist approach to social media in her personal life. She values intentional, meaningful online interactions, and it’s this philosophy that she seeks to instil in Bluesky’s growing community.

As the social media landscape continues to evolve, Graber’s work with Bluesky represents a bold attempt to reclaim the internet for its users, offering a platform that’s more open, more democratic, and more attuned to the needs of those who seek a different kind of online experience. With Bluesky continuing to grow, it seems that the platform, under Graber’s leadership, might just have the potential to reshape the way we think about and engage with social media.