About the CTRL Foundation
We believe in a digital world where everyone, regardless of technical skill or economic status, can create, contribute, and connect through tools designed for deep expression, not shallow engagement. The CTRL Foundation exists to build technology that aligns with how humans naturally think and communicate—tools that let stories unfold, knowledge accumulate, and ideas persist beyond the ephemeral scroll of a feed.
In a world where attention is fragmenting, economic value is flowing disproportionately to platform owners, and local economies are drained rather than enriched by technology, the CTRL Foundation stands for a fundamentally different vision. We’re building for a future where digital infrastructure serves human potential rather than constraining it, where creation is accessible to all, and where technology amplifies our most meaningful capabilities instead of exploiting our vulnerabilities.
The CTRL Foundation administers the technology we oversee with an independent governance structure, deliberately separating it from profit-seeking pressures and market expectations. By maintaining complete ownership of the digital infrastructure we support, we ensure that human flourishing—not revenue optimization—remains our immovable north star. Unlike traditional technology companies that must prioritize shareholder returns, our foundation is structured to protect the integrity of our mission: to restore narrative thinking, creative agency, and democratic access to the digital world. This governance model allows us to make decisions based on long-term human benefit, creating a protective barrier between the tools we build and the relentless demands of surveillance capitalism.
The Board
President
Jeremy Medford
Secretary
Matthew Nystrom
Treasurer
Russell Hunter
We need a correction.
We don’t just need “better” social media; we need a correction. It’s time to fill in the historical gap created as the internet evolved, and bring web publishing into the hands of everyone.
The evolution
Our Backstory
As told by Jeff Medford, Architect of the CTRL Foundation
The CTRL Foundation was born from a moment of clarity during a vacation in Andalusia, Spain with Melissa Jenerette. While visiting historic sites that rented clunky audioguides, she turned to me and said, “Someone needs to make an app to replace these.” In that instant—like a Matrix-style download—a vision crystallized. In my mind I saw a platform where anyone, anywhere, could create and share rich, multimedia guides—not just for tourists sites or museums—but for any experience or knowledge they held. This spark ignited my dream to democratize digital creation, with the goal of making rich, flexible, multimedia posts as simple to make as sending a text message. The goal was a reimagining of the internet for everyone, not just the privileged. With the help of designer Matthew Nystrom, the journey began.
As I traveled through over 50 countries, this need for this correction became starkly apparent through a profound encounter in rural Moldova. I saw a young boy selling flowers in the woods who looked remarkably like my own son. The contrast in their lives was striking: My American son had the entire digital world at his fingertips, but this Moldovan child’s ability to harness the internet for his benefit was constrained by technology, language, and economic differences. This digital divide illustrates a fundamental inequity: creating, sharing, and accessing knowledge online remains complex, technical, and exclusive.
The final insight in this journey occurred in January 2023 when I encountered the music of REN, whose unflinching rejection of music-industry pressures to sell out for money resonated deeply with my own struggle. His artistic integrity helped to crystallize my decision: My vision for a renewed internet was too important to risk being corrupted by venture capital’s demands. I chose to establish the CTRL Foundation—ensuring that what we build remains aligned with human flourishing rather than quarterly returns.
The Present.
The Future…
If we simply try to get existing platforms to change, we will fail. We must create a viable alternative.
The CTRL Foundation will dismantle the barriers that lock people out of the open internet, enabling them to teach, create, and connect in ways that elevate the human experience and enrich their communities.