The sudden and tragic passing of Social Media Today founder and CEO Robin Carey late last week left many in shock. Robin had had a profound impact on the social media landscape - for context Robin founded Social Media Today in 2007, when no one was taking social media too seriously. Facebook had less than 5% of its current user base, Twitter had only been founded a year earlier, yet Robin had the foresight to see where these platforms were headed, and started Social Media Today as a way to advance the conversation around social and bring professionals in the space together, giving them an opportunity to share their voice.
But more than this, Robin used this platform to empower people involved in causes which she truly believed in. Along with Social Media Today, Robin founded The Energy Collective, which looks at better ways we can use new advances in technology to use energy in a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly way; she started the Sustainable Cities Collective to advance the conversation around sustainability; Smart Data Collective looks at new ways to utilize our ever-growing data and information stores to make better decisions; and Health Works Collective provides a platform for those seeking to improve health care outcomes and delivery through new technology and development.
These are all issues and causes which Robin cared about deeply - beyond utilizing Social Media Today and its related platforms as a revenue-generating business, Robin used their reach as a means to develop these conversations in an effort to use her position to make the world a better place. And as noted in this tribute from Vanessa DiMauro, Robin was also a champion for women's equality, a crucially important initiative and one which Robin embodied as well as anyone.
As a reflection of Robin's influence and the role she played in a great many people's lives, particularly within the social media realm, Dan Gingiss and Chris Strub recently organized a Blab where people could come along and share their thoughts about Robin, as well as their grief at Robin's untimely passing.
On a personal note, Robin provided me with a great many opportunities for which I'll forever be grateful. As I note in the Blab conversation, I don't know what to say - there's nothing you can say, really. Robin was one of a kind, a true force of nature that successfully let her passions guide her career, something few of us are ever able to achieve. My thoughts are with Robin's family and friends and I urge anyone reading this to pay tribute to her memory using the hashtag #ThankYouRobin.
Our world has suffered a great loss.
#ThankYouRobin. For everything.
- Andrew Hutchinson (@adhutchinson) December 21, 2015