Roar Social Announces Promotion of Mike Dodge to President and Chief Operating Officer

LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2024 – Roar Social, the new Gen Z platform that reimagines social media as a powerful tool for social change, today announces the promotion of Mike Dodge to President and Chief Operating Officer. This significant promotion comes as Roar Social continues to experience substantial buzz since its launch in the Apple App Store.

Dodge, who has been instrumental in overseeing Roar Social’s Finance, Legal, Operations, Content Moderation, and Strategic Partnerships teams, will now expand his role to the critical areas of Corporate Strategy, Business Intelligence, and Human Resources.

"Mike's promotion is a testament to his exceptional leadership and the significant contributions he has made to Roar Social’s growth and strategic direction," said Robert Weiss, CEO and Founder of Roar Social. "His steady and experienced hand will help guide Roar Social through our closed beta period and upcoming public launch. We are committed to our mission of transforming social media into a powerful engine for social impact, and Mike is the ideal person to help lead us on this journey."

Dodge brings over two decades of experience in building and growing companies at the intersection of media and technology. Before joining Roar Social, he was theChief Operating Officer of Care Solace, where he focused on improving mental healthcare for school systems and their families. Dodge has also held C-Level roles at 101 Networks, theAudience, and Evolve Media, and has worked at a wide variety of iconic companies such as McKinsey & Company, General Electric, and Procter & Gamble. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Dodge’s new position follows the previous promotions for Ash Steffy to EVP and Chief Experience Officer, and James Smitley to EVP and Chief Technology Officer. The elevation of Steffy and Smitley significantly expanded their responsibilities, helping to drive forward Roar Social's mission and growth.

Steffy joined Roar Social in October 2020 as Chief Brand Officer and has been a pivotal force in developing Roar Social's product vision and brand. He has built and led the company’s Product, Marketing, PR/Communications, and Human Interface & Design teams. His promotion to EVP and Chief Experience Officer then expanded his responsibilities to include Content Strategy, Community Development, and Creator/Influencer Relations. His previous roles include leadership positions at the Walt Disney Company, Ovation andFanDragon Technologies – where he excelled at leading teams to create unforgettable consumer experiences.

Smitley joined Roar Social as Head of Engineering in May 2022, where he built and led the company’s onshore and offshore software development teams, overseeing all aspects of Roar Social's technical direction and engineering strategy. Smitley’s promotion to EVP and Chief Technology Officer then expanded his responsibilities to include Platform Scaling, Innovation/R&D, and AI/Machine Learning Integration. Smitley has over 20 years of experience in technology, having led teams at LinkedIn, Atlassian, PointDrive, and kettle.ai. His leadership at Roar Social has been crucial in developing innovative technical solutions and fostering high morale among the engineering team.

"Ash and Jim have both played critical roles in Roar Social’s success to date," said Weiss. "Ash's experience and expertise have been instrumental in shaping our company’s product vision and creative direction, while Jim's exceptional leadership has led to groundbreaking technical solutions and a robust development cadence. We are fortunate to have such talented leaders driving our mission forward."

Since its founding, Roar Social has made significant strides, including raising more than $10 million in seed funding, developing comprehensive Alpha and Beta products, and emerging from stealth mode in June 2023. The Beta product, available on the Apple App Store since August 2023, has opened the platform to a growing community of engaged users supporting causes such as Climate Change, Voting Rights, Mental Health, Cure Cancer, and Disaster Relief.

Roar Social invites creators, influencers, and users to join the VIP Early Access list. Download the Roar Social app in the Apple App Store. To learn more and download photos, please visit RoarSocial.com.

For press inquiries, please contact press@uproartech.com.

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About Roar Social

Roar Social is a new Gen Z platform that reimagines social media as a powerful engine for social impact. Launched in the Apple App Store summer 2023, RoarSocial replaces the “Like” with the “Give,” leveraging the video content users love to raise money for causes they care about. Roar Social uses “Gamified Giving” to let everyone change the world, one tap at a time.

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