Cover Bluesky CEO Jay Graber delivered the keynote about the future of social media at the 2025 SXSW Conference & Festivals (Photo: Samantha Burkardt/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber delivered the keynote about the future of social media at the 2025 SXSW Conference & Festivals (Photo: Samantha Burkardt/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)
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Fun fact: the Bluesky CEO’s given name actually does mean “blue sky”
Jay Graber, a 33-year-old engineer and digital rights activist, is the quietly formidable force behind Bluesky, a decentralised social media platform that’s swiftly positioning itself as the thinking person’s alternative to Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). As CEO, Graber has overseen the platform’s rapid growth to over 32 million users, offering a refreshing, user-first experience—one that forgoes traditional advertising and algorithm-driven content in favour of transparency and control. Among its high-profile fans are actor Mark Hamill and U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both drawn to Bluesky’s commitment to openness and decentralisation.
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With Bluesky positioned as the anti-X social media platform, Graber herself is being touted as the anti-Zuckerberg—and not just for her values. In an industry crowded by loud, headline-chasing tech moguls, she’s a rare figure: a woman who champions user rights over corporate gain, and who eschews the spotlight in favour of building thoughtfully and quietly. That sense of restraint, in both leadership and lifestyle, only adds to her appeal.
Still, little is publicly known about the low-profile leader shaping the future of social platforms. Here’s what we do know about the enigmatic CEO of one of the tech world’s most talked-about disruptors.
Jay Graber is of Chinese and Swiss descent
Born Lantian Graber in 1991, her mother is a Chinese immigrant and is an acupuncturist by trade, while her father is a mathematics teacher of Swiss descent.
Purely coincidentally, “Lantian” (蓝天) does mean “blue sky” in Chinese, but it has nothing to do with the social platform, as Bluesky had been named before Graber was even asked to join the company. Her name instead reflects her mother’s wish for her to enjoy limitless freedom and possibility.
Thanks to @mattie.thegem.city for this adorable crochet butterfly! Brought by @ngerakines.me for a few folks at #ATmosphereconf
— Jay 🦋 (@jay.bsky.team) March 22, 2025 at 5:05 AM
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Jay Graber has a strong foundation in mathematics and engineering
Jay Graber studied mathematics and computer science at university, equipping her with the technical expertise to navigate complex systems and software development. Before transitioning into software engineering, she honed her problem-solving skills in theoretical mathematics, a discipline that requires precision, logic, and adaptability—qualities that have been instrumental in her work with decentralised technologies.
She began her career in cryptocurrency and privacy-focused tech
Before leading Bluesky, Graber was deeply involved in the cryptocurrency space, contributing to privacy-focused blockchain projects. She worked as a developer for Zcash, a cryptocurrency designed to enhance user privacy, and became an advocate for decentralised financial systems. Her early work in cryptography and blockchain laid the groundwork for her vision of a decentralised internet, where users could retain greater control over their digital identities and interactions.
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She is a vocal advocate for digital autonomy
Jay Graber has consistently championed the idea that individuals should have control over their online presence, rather than being at the mercy of corporate algorithms. Her belief in decentralised networks stems from a desire to counteract the data exploitation models used by major social media platforms. By prioritising user sovereignty, she aims to reshape the way people engage with digital spaces, ensuring that privacy and autonomy are at the forefront.
We put up a proposal that lays out a way for users to declare whether/how they want their data to be used by things like generative AI or public archives, check it out on github: github.com/bluesky-soci...
— Jay 🦋 (@jay.bsky.team) March 15, 2025 at 6:27 AM
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Graber was chosen to lead Bluesky for her decentralisation expertise
Bluesky actually began as part of Twitter, conceived as a spinoff initiative by Jack Dorsey in 2019. In 2021, Graber was appointed to spearhead Bluesky, in recognition of her deep understanding of decentralised systems. She quickly assembled a team of engineers and researchers to build an alternative social media infrastructure, one that prioritises transparency, user control and interoperability. After Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, Graber’s leadership has been crucial in shaping Bluesky into a viable competitor to mainstream platforms, particularly in an era where trust in Big Tech continues to decline.
She maintains a low public profile despite her industry influence
— Jay 🦋 (@jay.bsky.team) March 17, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Unlike many tech CEOs who frequently engage in public discourse and personal branding, Jay Graber prefers to let her work do the talking. With the exception of her viral T-shirt moment, she rarely makes bombastic claims or participates in high-profile debates, instead directing her energy towards the technical and ethical aspects of platform building. This quiet yet impactful approach has allowed her to gain the trust of developers and digital rights advocates who share her vision.
She believes open-source development is key to a fairer internet
Graber is a staunch advocate for open-source technology, arguing that transparency and accessibility are essential for building a more equitable internet. By ensuring that Bluesky’s code is publicly available, she invites developers from around the world to contribute, refine, and improve upon the platform. This philosophy stands in stark contrast to the closed ecosystems of major tech companies, reinforcing her commitment to a more democratic digital landscape.
Jay Graber is redefining the future of social media
"When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order." Iya Prigogine, Noble prize-winning chemist
— Jay 🦋 (@jay.bsky.team) March 24, 2025 at 12:39 AM
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Jay Graber envisions a future where social media is no longer controlled by a handful of billionaires and corporations but is instead shaped by the users themselves. Her work in decentralisation extends beyond Bluesky—it represents a broader shift towards giving people control over their online interactions, free from algorithmic manipulation and invasive data collection. As she continues to refine and expand Bluesky’s capabilities, her influence in the tech industry is only set to grow.
