Jay Graber
Jay Graber is Chief Innovation Officer at Bluesky Social and previously served as CEO there. Graber founded Happening, Inc, and has held roles as a software engineer at Skuchain and Zcash Company, and as an organizer at Free Press.
GeekWire and Greater Seattle Partners call for nominations for 2026 Uncommon Thinkers; deadline Sept. 18, winners honored Dec. 10
Nominations for GeekWire’s 2026 Uncommon Thinkers Awards — honoring Seattle-area inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs — close Friday, Sept. 18 at 11 a.m. PT; winners will be chosen by a judges panel and celebrated at the GeekWire Gala on Dec. 10. The fourth annual program, run with Greater Seattle Partners, seeks nominees who demonstrate innovation, leadership and measurable impact.
Bluesky Raises $100M Series B Led by Bain Capital Crypto, Reaches 43M Users Amid Leadership Shift
Bluesky raised $100 million in a Series B round led by Bain Capital Crypto in April 2025, following a $15 million Series A in October 2024. The company reported a 60% user growth last year, reaching 43 million users, while undergoing leadership changes with Toni Schneider as interim CEO.
Bluesky discloses $100M Series B led by Bain Capital Crypto that closed in April as new CEO takes charge
Bluesky disclosed a previously unannounced $100 million Series B led by Bain Capital Crypto that closed last April, and announced a new CEO ten days after founder Jay Graber stepped down.
Jay Graber Steps Down as Bluesky CEO, Toni Schneider Named Interim CEO; Graber Becomes Chief Innovation Officer
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber is stepping down to become chief innovation officer as the company hires Toni Schneider as interim CEO to focus on scaling and execution. Bluesky has grown its user base to 43 million and distinguishes itself with the open AT Protocol for social media.
2025 GeekWire Gala Hosts 750+ Seattle Tech Enthusiasts with Robots and Honors 'Uncommon Thinkers' Innovators
The 2025 GeekWire Gala brought together over 750 members of Seattle's tech community at Showbox SoDo for an evening of celebration featuring robots, games, and networking. The event also honored the region’s 'Uncommon Thinkers,' recognizing innovative leaders from multiple tech companies.
GeekWire Honors Six 'Uncommon Thinkers' Transforming Industries with Innovative Startups in 2025
GeekWire's third annual 'Uncommon Thinkers' honors six innovators including Anindya Roy, Kiana Ehsani, and Jeff Thornburg, who are leading startups transforming industries with breakthrough technologies in biotech, social media, and space propulsion. These leaders will be celebrated at the GeekWire Gala in Seattle for their creative and mission-driven approaches to solving significant challenges.
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Builds AT Protocol to Decentralize Social Networks Beyond Company Control
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber is developing the AT Protocol, a decentralized social network foundation designed to persist beyond any single company and allow users to move their social data freely across different apps. Her vision aims to transform how online communities form, grow, and self-govern.
Mark Cuban Backs Seattle Startup Skylight Social Developing TikTok-Like App on AT Protocol Amid TikTok Ban Concerns
Seattle startup Skylight Social, founded by Victoria White and Reed Harmeyer, raised funding from Mark Cuban and Graham & Walker to develop a TikTok-like short-form video app built on the AT Protocol, enabling users to own and transfer their data across platforms. The app is a Public Benefit Corporation committed to positive social impact and aims to capitalize on TikTok's uncertain future amid a potential U.S. ban.
ATmosphere Conference Spotlights AT Protocol Enabling Decentralized Social Web with Bluesky and Obama Joins
The ATmosphere Conference in Seattle highlighted the emerging Authenticated Transfer (AT) Protocol, a decentralized social web system enabling users to own their identity and data, exemplified by the Bluesky social network. This protocol aims to disrupt current social apps by allowing interoperable, user-controlled data across multiple apps, with notable figures like Barack Obama joining Bluesky recently.
Organizations
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Bluesky Chief Innovation Officer 2026–present, CEO 2021–2026 · current
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Happening, Inc Founder 2019–2021 · past
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Zcash Company Software Engineer 2016–2018 · past
Education
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Dev Bootcamp Computer Software Engineering · 2015
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University of Pennsylvania Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Science, Technology, & Society · 2009–2013
