Matthew Hartings is on the faculty at American University in the department of chemistry. Matt has cultivated his online identity to share and engage with two distinct areas of scholarship: nanoparticle-polymer composite materials and communicating chemistry with non-scientists. The first research area is more traditional for a practicing chemist in academia. The second research area, though non-traditional, has been the most beneficial for building his online and professional profiles. His cultivation of this profile is built upon engagement, not self-promotion. The online world has many platforms for community development. Listening and conversing are much more important than just talking about your work. Through my own engagement in these platforms I have written several invited academic articles, have become an official ambassador for my professional society, and have just finished writing a book on kitchen chemistry for non-scientists.