Steve Wozniak

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, is undoubtedly one of the most influential pioneers of the technology industry. A Silicon Valley icon, he helped to shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products, the Apple I and II, and influenced the extraordinarily popular Macintosh. His vision was to make technology both usable and accessible to all.

On 1 April 1976, with Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer Inc. with his Apple I personal computer. The Apple I was priced at $666.66. They sold their first 100 computers to a local dealer. In 1980, Apple went public and made Jobs and Wozniak multimillionaires.

The next year Steve Wozniak introduced his Apple II personal computer which was integral in launching the personal computer industry. It featured a central processing unit, a keyboard, colour graphics and a floppy disk drive.

Steve Wozniak is an engaging, lively speaker with an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime success story to share with any audience. As well as speaking engagements, he is available for corporate meetings and events, business seminars, panel discussions and more.

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In 1981, Steve went back to UC Berkeley and finished his degree in electrical engineering/computer science. In 1985, for his achievements at Apple Computer, Steve Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology by then President of the United States Ronald Reagan, the highest honour bestowed on America’s leading innovators.

In 1982 and 1983, Steve Wozniak sponsored two US Festivals to celebrate evolving technologies; they ended up as a combination technology exposition/rock festival, featuring such acts as U2, David Bowie and Van Halen, and bringing together music, computers, television and people.

In 2000, Steve Wozniak 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”.

Since leaving Apple in 1985, Steve Wozniak has been involved in various business and philanthropic ventures. A philanthropist for more than thirty years, he has focused primarily on computer capabilities in schools, stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students. He adopted the Los Gatos School District, providing students and teachers with hands-on teaching and donations of state-of-the-art technology equipment. He also 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 has been Chief Scientist for Fusion-IO since 2008. He is also a published author; his autobiography, iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon, was a New York Times best-seller. His television appearances include US reality shows Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and The Big Bang Theory.

Steve Wozniak talks about:

• Creativity and innovation – how to foster creativity and innovation in a technical environment
• Robotics and automation
• How to breed an entrepreneurial mindset in a corporate culture
• The Apple Computer Story
• iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon – Steve Wozniak’s autobiography