Diem launches new social knowledge platform to do away with performative sharing
NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Diem, a new social media alternative, launches to create digital social spaces for women & non-binary folks to connect on common interest points, addressing the negative experiences they commonly encounter on incumbent social networks. Diem's technology centers community connections and authentic knowledge sharing, moving away from the orchestrated, performative content that we're conditioned to engage with on social media and in the direction of an equitable, personal experience where knowledge is the ultimate form of social currency.
Diem has been in beta since January 2021 and amassed a waitlist of over 20,000 people. Ahead of its public roll out, Diem has carefully curated over 100+ "Founding Hosts" to share their own experiences and qualified insights with relevant, interest-based communities within the platform via synchronous & asynchronous formats. Folks in Diem will be able to discover Hosts from a range of backgrounds such as financial advisors, entrepreneurs and OBGYNs. Hosts also include a suite of leading creators, entrepreneurs and industry thought leaders including Kirsty Godso, Sabia Wade, Lauren Maillian, and Jaclyn Johnson, all of whom also join the company's Advisory Board to shape the future alternative social platform that they want to engage in. Johnson shares, "I am thrilled to Host and invest in Diem, having built a women-centric business I understand the need for virtual communities for folks to connect with each other and experts in a space designed for them."
One of Diem's core principles is to not build unnecessary and addictive technology, because the future of social media is not about amassing eyeballs via performative sharing. It's about creating platforms with revenue models that also benefit the people contributing. In the future, Diem plans to innovate on the antiquated, two-dimensional technology of social networks and harness technology typically found in gaming and AR/VR to cultivate truly social, three-dimensional communities.
Maitree Mervana Parekh, Investor at Acrew, explains,"Community drives human belonging, and technology has shown its ability to be a powerful resource in fostering this. However, technology that prioritizes inclusivity and positivity has not been at the forefront. That's why I'm excited about Diem. It's pushing the limits of a "social network" and truly designing an immersive, social experience from the ground up that enables its members to connect, exchange knowledge, and thrive in an intentional and inclusive way."
We all know that social media is hugely influential to how we live, work and communicate with one another, and yet, today's top platforms have all been designed by men. That often means that social media companies default to harmful and sexist policies, leaving less space for women and non-binary folks to exist in virtual worlds. Community expert, Abadesi Osunsade, states, "As a woman, dominant social media platforms have started to feel exploitative, encouraging us to be vulnerable in public spaces for the sake of engagement. Diem is about community and connection with no hidden agenda."
Diem is rolling out to the public throughout October 2021. The New York-based team is a Techstars NYC '20 portfolio company, backed by $900,000 in pre-seed funding with participation from Xfactor Ventures, Acrew and leading angels such as Create & Cultivate founder, Jaclyn Johnson and Discord Executive, Amber Atherton.
ABOUT: Diem was co-founded by Emma Bates and Divia Singh. Emma started her marketing career in blogging and transitioned into marketing and partnerships roles at some of the fastest growing consumer brands in NYC and the UK. Prior to founding Diem, she was Head of Global Marketing at the DTC travel brand, Away. Emma's work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Entrepreneur and The Cut for her unique approach to marketing, community building and partnerships. Divia is the COO and co-founder of Diem, and is passionate about building technology-based solutions for underserved communities from the ground up. Prior to Diem, she was one of the first hires on the digital team at Away and also worked at Zocdoc in various roles across product, operations and CX.
Contact:
Emma Bates
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