SocialEngine gives individual webmasters and organizations of all sizes a comprehensive yet simple way to build fully custom social networks. Proud winner of “Best Social Network Software” in the 2015 CMS Critic People’s Choice Awards. In 2007, SocialEngine founders Alex Benzer and Charlotte Genevier witnessed an obvious trend: the long tail of the social web was being born. Thousands of people, inspired by the fledging mainstream social networks, were beginning to create their own niche community websites. At the time, it was clear the tools available for creating social networks were truly inadequate. Alex and Charlotte took this opportunity to build their own. SocialEngine has evolved rapidly since its launch in 2007, and now boasts a global development community that actively contributes to customization, software add-ons (plugins), installs and more. Now in its fourth version, the community platform has been used by over 8,500 individuals, hobby groups, professional organizations, schools, institutions, and non-profits -- cumulatively hosting millions of end users. In 2012, SocialEngine launched its Cloud product, offering a platform as a service (PAAS) solution for those seeking a more economical solution without software hosting and install requirements. Acquired by Room 214 (a digital marketing and social media agency) in January of 2014, the company continues to maintain two code bases (PHP and Cloud), and strives to improve features and accessibility to social network creators everywhere.