Fearless Innovation: R.M. “Raye” Easterly on Reimagining Social Media & Building Human-Centered Tech

Welcome to The Tech Girl Podcast! In this episode, host Gertrude Chilufya sits down with R.M. “Raye” Easterly — a serial entrepreneur, problem solver, and founder of the By Invite Only (Byio) social platform.

Raye opens up about her journey of building 12 ventures (and exiting seven!), and her mission to create tech that’s both human-centered and fearless. Raised in #Detroit, she shares how the city’s grit and creativity shaped her entrepreneurial mindset. Together, they dive into authenticity in social media, user empowerment, and how Byio is reimagining digital communities. 🚀
Don’t miss this powerful conversation about innovation, community building, and leading with purpose.

📱 Connect with R.M. Easterly:
👉 Facebook: facebook.com/r.m.easterly
👉 Instagram: instagram.com/r.m_easterly
👉 Website: itsbyio.com
🎧 Podcast Produced by: LeTroy Gardner & Mario Washington | Fourcast Media — pushplaypods.com

#TheTechGirlPodcast #WomenInTech #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #SocialMediaReimagined #TechLeadership #Byio #DetroitTech #FearlessInnovation

Episode Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Tech Girl Podcast
00:42 Meet the Guest: R.M. Easterly, Serial Entrepreneur
02:22 The Detroit Spirit: Resilience and Pride
06:08 RM's Early Business Ventures
07:36 Problem Solving vs. Entrepreneurship
12:35 Balancing Intellect and Intuition
18:13 Building 'By Invite Only': A New Social Platform
26:53 Co-Creation and Community Building
27:16 Inclusivity and Empowerment
31:00 Empathy in Design
34:22 Leadership Philosophy
36:12 Balancing Personal and Professional Life
42:56 Lightning Round: Unsolved Problems
45:37 Human-Centered Innovation
49:40 Final Thoughts and What's Next