Meet Tyler Lyman, an Assistant Managing Editor at Odyssey. A native of Hudson Valley (specifically New Windsor, New York). Lyman has had a niche for writing and editing since his years at Marywood University, where he studied English and Literature with a Minor in Creative Writing. He transferred to Naropa University, a small school in Boulder, CO, where he studied Writing & Literature with four concentrations: Fiction, Poetry, Teaching & Publishing.

Lyman joined the Odyssey team back in May and since then he has taken on a big role as Assistant Managing Editor of communities at Odyssey. This means he manages up to 20 communities from Berkeley, CA to Southern Florida. His position entails managing up-and-coming Editor-in-Chiefs and content Creators to grow on a weekly basis as writers, leaders and innovators.

Check out his Q & A about being on the Odyssey team and his personal goals for the Odyssey at Winthrop University.

Shakora Bamberg: How long has Odyssey been around?

Tyler Lyman: As an online platform, Odyssey has been around for a slim two years.

SB: What is the mission and purpose of the Odyssey?

TL: Odyssey's mission is to democratize the world's content.

In the media currently, we have a selected few who create content that is meant to reflect the ideas, beliefs and identities of an entire nation or people. At Odyssey, we realized that this is inherently flawed. In fact, there is an illimitable amount of truths in this country and the world.

The goal of democratizing the world's content is a mission of giving voice to the voiceless, or people searching for the opportunity to reach a wide audience. By building a platform that can allow digital influencers, leaders, and growing writers to access an audience and share their voice, truths, and narratives with the world, we are inundating that world with a wealth of knowledge, experience, and opinions.

SB: How do you feel about the Odyssey at Winthrop? With your role what are your plans for the Odyssey at Winthrop and how would you like to see it grow and expand?

TL: Odyssey at Winthrop is exciting! We are growing rapidly and producing incredible content. It has been an amazing experience building this team with our current EIC, Zuri Anderson.

To see the passion she, along with our amazing content Creators, bring to their roles and the way Zuri leads her community is inspiring and energizing. Our content Creators bring diverse opinions and narratives that have not yet been heard or seen on the platform and transpose them in new and hyper-local ways.

This community holds the potential to be one of the top communities Odyssey has. With opinions emerging and new creators coming onboard weekly, we are striving to change the platform and opinions.

We still have so much room to grow and are always looking for amazing writers and leaders to join, diversify, and publish amazing content.

So if you're interested you can request an invitation to join our Winthrop community.

SB: What college clubs and activities did you get involved with that have contributed to your success today with publishing writing and editing content?

TL: When I was at Marywood, I pitched for the DIII Baseball team, worked for the Student-run Literary Magazine (The Bayleaf) and for the school newspaper. I was also a work-study for the Dean of the Reap College of Education and Human Development.

When I transferred to Naropa I got involved with a bunch of different things. I went through a program called "Project Outreach" which was headed by a senior faculty member, brilliant poet, and mentor, Jack Collom. Through this program, I became an intern, and soon after part-time faculty member, of the Boulder Writing Studio where I taught a summer writing camp for children focusing on writing poetry.

I wrote cassette music reviews for a local publication, "LuNaMoPoLiS," run by the interminable Joseph Braun. I also wrote some reviews for the Universities’ Online Scholarly Poetics Journal, "Something On Paper," and was a Managing Editor and layout designer for the magazine produced via the Universities 40th Anniversary Summer Writing Program.

Through all this experience, I started an online group called "The New Independents." It has a mission to connect the world's artists in one place and provide a platform to develop one's work and have a collective group of peers to bounce ideas off of and grow as artists and thinkers in the world.

SB: When you’re not busy with Odyssey, what do you like to do for fun can you tell us some of your hobbies?

TL: I love writing fiction and reading. I listen to an obscene amount of hip-hop and skateboard everywhere I go. I play pool when I can, make music on the side, run a literary magazine for fun, and wander around NYC looking for the best chicken and waffles. Along with that, I love going for hikes, am an avid fan of the micro-beer culture, and like to get too deep into conversations about America, Love, and the nature of existence with anyone who cares.

Keep an eye out for Lyman as he continues to thrive in his new role and also with his own creative writing. You never know -- one day you may stumble upon his book in a Barnes & Noble. Don’t forget his name: Tyler Lyman.