Entrepreneur and engineer Steve Wozniak is one of the most influential figures in the tech industry. Together with Steve Jobs, Wozniak co-founded Apple Inc. in 1976 and was responsible for designing much of the company’s first groundbreaking products—including the Apple I and II computers. This Silicon Valley legend has partnered with philanthropic causes and provided strategic guidance to tech start-ups.
Originally from San Jose, California, Wozniak attended the University of Colorado and then the University of California, Berkeley. During his college years, he was drawn to electronics and explored the hobbyist world of building computers. Wozniak was deeply inspired by the work of others in the field and crafted his own inventions, many of which drew the attention of the security community.
While his ability to re-design hardware and comprehend programming languages was remarkable, Wozniak was mostly interested in the social implications of technology. He used his knowledge to create innovative products that enabled ordinary people to engage with technology. This is why he and Jobs collaborated to create the Apple I. It was an affordable personal computer, specifically designed to allow non-tech users to interact with electronic systems.
The two young entrepreneurs went on to launch Apple Inc. in 1976. One of their first major successes was the Apple II—a programmable and memory-expandable computer that provided users with unprecedented computing power.
Wozniak continued to help design and engineer several Apple products and eventually retired from Apple in 1987. While his technical skills were far-reaching, Wozniak became well-known for his engaging personality and his ability to explain complicated concepts in an understandable way.
Years later, he invested in a number of tech businesses and acted as an advisor to start-ups, often appearing at prominent tech conferences as a keynote speaker. He partnered with numerous philanthropic causes, including the Michelle Obama’s “Let Girls Learn” campaign, and co-founded Wheels 4 Wishes, a foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of terminally ill children in their final days.
A true Silicon Valley visionary, Steve Wozniak underscores the importance of collaboration and the power of technology to drive meaningful change.