A Silicon Valley icon, technology entrepreneur, and philanthropist for more than 40 years, Steve Wozniak helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products, the Apple I and II. In 1976, Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer Inc. with Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer. The following year, he introduced his Apple II personal computer, featuring a central processing unit, keyboard, color graphics, and floppy disk drive. The Apple II was integral in launching the personal computer industry. He is listed as the sole inventor on four Apple patents.
Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America’s leading innovators. In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment for singlehandedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in students and their teachers. His autobiography, “iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon,” was a New York Times bestseller. He continues to pursue philanthropic and entrepreneurial interests and recently co-founded Efforce, a blockchain-based energy saving trading platform.
