Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Transitions to Chief Innovation Officer as Toni Schneider Steps In

Jay Graber, who became the first CEO of Bluesky in 2021, is stepping down from her role as the head of the company. Bluesky, which originated as a Twitter research project before becoming an independent entity, will now be led by Toni Schneider on an interim basis until a permanent CEO is appointed. Graber will transition to the role of Chief Innovation Officer, where she will focus on developing new initiatives for the platform, which has grown its user base from 30 million to 40 million over the past year.

Graber expressed confidence in Schneider's leadership, noting his deep belief in Bluesky's mission. Schneider has been an advisor to both the company and Graber for over a year. His background includes serving as CEO of Automattic, and he is associated with True Ventures, both of which are investors in Bluesky. These connections support Bluesky's goal of creating a more open and user-driven internet.

In a blog post, Schneider shared his initial skepticism about decentralized social networks, which changed after meeting Graber and Bluesky COO Rose Wang two years ago. He now supports the vision of an open, user-controlled social web, emphasizing the importance of user ownership over identity, data, and social connections. Schneider stated that Bluesky is committed to maintaining and enhancing this open platform, which relies on the trust of third-party developers to thrive. He reiterated the company's dedication to moving towards a fully decentralized system.