Mar 10, 2026 11:59:00

Bluesky CEO Jay Graeber announces retirement to focus on innovation and manufacturing

Bluesky CEO

Jay Graeber has announced that he will be stepping down from his role as CEO to take on a new role as Chief Innovation Officer.

A New Chapter for Bluesky - Bluesky
https://bsky.social/about/blog/03-09-2026-a-new-chapter-for-bluesky

Coming Off the Bench for Bluesky - Bluesky
https://bsky.social/about/blog/03-09-2026-coming-off-the-bench-for-bluesky

Graeber started working as a software engineer in 2015, founded Happening, a social event service company, in 2019, and became CEO of Bluesky in August 2021. However, Graeber said, 'It was in 2019 that we started building an open protocol for social media.'

The Bluesky app initially started as a reference client for open protocols, but by November 2025, it had surpassed 40 million users.

Bluesky's user base surpasses 40 million, and the beta version of the 'dislike' feature is now available - GIGAZINE

'As Bluesky matures, we need an experienced operator focused on scale and execution, so I decided to return to my forte: building new things,' Graeber said of his decision to step down as CEO and take on the role of Chief Innovation Officer.

Toni Schneider, former CEO of Automattic and partner at True Ventures , will join the team as interim CEO, while the board of directors will proceed with the selection of a permanent CEO.

'Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, is built on a foundation of open source software and dedicated to making the web a better, more inclusive place. Schneider will play a key role in guiding that mission, and his genuine curiosity, long-term perspective, and deep understanding of what it means to build a company around a mission make him the right person to lead us into our next chapter,' Graeber said.

Graeber also expressed his gratitude to his team and the community, saying, 'I'm grateful to continue growing with this team and community.'