When Alex Gleason describes his work, there’s conviction in his voice. The founder and CEO of Soapbox believes that technology should empower people, not control them. His latest project, Shakespeare AI, turns that vision into reality: an open-source AI web builder that lets anyone design their own websites and online communities freely.

For Gleason, it’s never been only about business. It’s about preserving freedom in how technology is built and used. The idea for Shakespeare came from a personal moment: his wife tried to build a small app using a closed AI platform and found herself blocked by technical barriers and mounting subscription costs. Seeing her frustration gave him the push to start something new. “If someone as capable as her was struggling, imagine how many others were simply giving up,” he says. That realization pushed him to build something open, flexible, and accessible to all.

Building Technology That Works for Everyone

Shakespeare AI begins with a clear goal: putting the same creative power in individual hands that corporations usually keep for themselves. Unlike proprietary platforms such as Lovable or Replit, Shakespeare is completely open source and transparent. Users can inspect and modify the code, choose their own AI providers, and even run local models if they prefer. It runs entirely in the browser, meaning that files remain private until the user chooses to publish them.

It doesn’t rely on subscriptions or hidden policies, and users aren’t tied to a corporate database. “For me, open source isn’t a philosophy—it’s the foundation of trust,” Gleason says. “When people can see how things work, they know they can depend on it.”

That approach has resonated with developers, small business owners, and online community builders.

Developers use Shakespeare because it respects their autonomy. Non-technical creators use it because it makes website creation intuitive and barrier-free. And entrepreneurs see it as a smarter way to build early-stage products without losing ownership to a corporate platform.

How Open Source Values Led to an AI Revolution

Gleason’s journey didn’t start with AI. Long before Shakespeare, he was a leading developer in the decentralized web movement. In 2019, he co-founded Spinster, a feminist social network built on the Fediverse, to give women a space to speak freely without fear of censorship. That same year, he launched Soapbox, a platform designed to help people build online communities outside the reach of Big Tech.

Those experiences showed him something simple but powerful — the internet works best when it’s decentralized. “Social media was the battleground for free speech in the last decade,” he says. “AI,” he says, “is where the next fight for digital freedom will take place.”

Through Soapbox, Gleason has built major projects that advance this vision, including Ditto, a Nostr-powered community server, and the Mostr Bridge, which connected the Fediverse and Nostr networks for the first time. In 2025, Soapbox joined And Other Stuff, a collective of open source developers funded by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey to support the Nostr ecosystem.

Turning Open Source Principles into a Business Advantage

While many AI companies chase subscription revenue and data control, Soapbox takes a different approach. By keeping Shakespeare’s code open, Gleason has encouraged real collaboration and transparency among developers. That openness has attracted developers who value creative freedom and long-term ownership over their tools.

The platform’s flexibility is also a major draw. Users can begin with well-known models like OpenAI’s GPT or Anthropic’s Claude and later shift to local setups as their projects expand. For startups and entrepreneurs, this means faster prototyping, lower costs, and no dependency on a single vendor.

“Open source is sustainable,” Gleason says. “When users own what they build, they’re invested. They’re not just customers—they’re partners in the project.”

Empowering People to Turn Ideas into Reality

Shakespeare AI is built to clear away the barriers that keep most people from creating online. It’s for the coder overflowing with ideas but short on time. It’s for the marketer or designer who wants to build something real without learning to program. And it’s for the community organizer who wants a safe space for people to connect, free from the whims of corporate algorithms.

“Technology should lift people up,” Gleason says. “It shouldn’t lock them out.”

The platform already supports a range of use cases—from small creative portfolios to large-scale community hubs. And because it’s open source, each update from one user often helps an entire community of builders.

The Cost of Building Outside Big Tech

Building against Big Tech comes with real challenges. Soapbox has faced censorship, blacklists, and skepticism for its open source stance. But Gleason sees that as a sign of progress. “When you stand up to powerful systems, resistance is usually a sign you’re making an impact,” he says.

He admits that convenience remains the biggest competitor. Closed platforms often offer polished onboarding and seamless integrations. Yet, he believes attitudes are beginning to shift. “People are starting to realize that convenience comes at a cost—usually their data or their freedom,” he adds.

Why Entrepreneurs are Watching Soapbox Closely

For entrepreneurs and developers, Shakespeare AI represents something rare: an opportunity to build on a platform that won’t one day compete against them. It offers full control over data, flexible AI integrations, and the ability to scale on one’s own terms.

More than that, it shows that open source principles can work hand in hand with modern business goals. In a marketplace dominated by proprietary AI systems, Soapbox shows that transparency can be both ethical and profitable.

“Entrepreneurs talk a lot about disruption,” Gleason says. “But true disruption isn’t about building faster—it’s about building fairer.”

Take the First Step into Open Source AI

For those who believe in ethical AI, decentralized technology, and creative freedom, Shakespeare AI is a chance to experience what open source can really do. Try it today at shakespeare.diy and see what it’s like to build with complete freedom.

The Bigger Picture

Gleason doesn’t claim to have solved the world’s tech problems. What he offers instead is an alternative – a way to build that treats users as collaborators instead of commodities. “Technology should belong to the people who use it,” he says. “That, he says, is what keeps real innovation moving forward.