Steve Wozniak

Steve Wozniak

Steve Wozniak
aka "The Woz"
Co-founder, Apple Computer Inc. 
Chief Scientist, Fusion-io
A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for the past three decades, Steve Wozniak helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products the Apple I and II and influenced the popular Macintosh. In 1976, Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer with the Apple I computer. The next year, he introduced his Apple II personal computer, featuring a central processing unit, a keyboard, color graphics, and a floppy disk drive, and helped to launch the PC industry.   

For his achievements at Apple Computer, Steve was awarded the National Medal of Technology by the President of the United States in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America’s leading innovators.

In 2000, Steve was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment for “single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in grade school students and their teachers.”

After leaving Apple in 1985, Wozniak has been involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students. Making significant investments of both his time and resources in education, Wozniak “adopted” the Los Gatos School District, providing students and teachers with hands-on teaching and donations of state-of-the-art technology equipment. Wozniak founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and was the founding sponsor of the Tech Museum, Silicon Valley Ballet and Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose.

Steve Wozniak is currently executive vice president, chief technology officer and chief visionary officer for Jazz Technologies, Inc. He co-founded the company with two other former Apple executives, Gilbert F. Amelio and Ellen M. Hancock. The company produces analog and mixed-signal semiconductor devices using specialty process technologies, including silicon germanium processes. Integrating analog and digital components on a single, mixed-signal semiconductor enables smaller and more highly integrated, power-efficient, feature-rich and cost-effective semiconductor devices.
Steve is also a published author with the release of his autobiography, iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon, in September 2006 by Norton Publishing.

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