ROBIN BECHTEL is a pioneer of the digital revolution, beginning in the early 90s with her role in the development of the World Wide Web. She created some of the web’s earliest features which helped make the web what it is today and showed people what it could be. Her early websites helped drive internet adoption and proved the Internet’s importance. Over the next two decades, Robin continued to pioneer every milestone in digital history, shaping technology as we know it today.

TRAILBLAZING THE INTERNET FIRST

"Bechtel saw through all the nerdy chatter and talk of Internet protocols and saw the human element behind it all. She realized (The World Wide Web’s) raw potential and saw it as a place for genuine connection and discussion.” – THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB

In 1993, Robin started the music industry’s first New Media Department, introducing the Internet to the music business. This was at Capitol Records in Hollywood. She then went on to make music history. In 1994, when the Internet was virtually unknown, she created the Internet’s first website for a band (Megadeth,Arizona) which Interactive Age called “the music industry’s first runaway hit on the web” The website created many Internet firsts: it was called “one of the first web chats” by WIRED and named “one of the first web communities” by the LA Times. It was also among the first websites ever written about in the press. The site was instrumental in showcasing the Internet’s potential for bands, paving the way for a new era of fan interaction and digital engagement. In 1997, she sold the first digital song (Duran Duran), which Billboard called "one of the most significant milestones in the history of the music industry."

FIRST ON STREAMING SCENE

In 2000, amidst intense industry debates around Napster, Robin streamed the first full album online (Radiohead) which was called a “truly a radical experiment in 2000” and “the first major rock album to be experienced via the Internet.” As a result, Radiohead’s album, “Kid A” debuted at #1 on the Billboard Sales Chart, changing the music industry’s stance on restricting music online. At the height of controversy around the MP3 format due to piracy, Robin made music history twice with Madonna. She sold the first MP3 at a record label which broke a Billboard record and released Madonna’s song as a ringtone before it was on the radio.

HOLLYWOOD + SILICON VALLEY

Called “a pioneering matchmaker between Hollywood and Silicon Valley”, Robin is credited for discovering many startups including MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify. Robin spearheaded YouTube’s first deal in entertainment, launched iTunes with Apple and partnered with Twitter to create their first celebrity account (Tom Petty).

ANGEL INVESTOR

Robin is an angel investor. Her portfolio companies include Uber, Everlane and Philz Coffee. She also helped these startups raise funding and partnered them with celebrity investors which garnered tech and entertainment press for the startups.