Steven Kirsch

Steve Kirsch has been at the forefront of tech innovation for more than three decades. He invented and owns a patent on an early version of the optical mouse, founded Infoseek, one of the first Internet search engines, and helped create FrameMaker, a popular publication tool used by technical writers. Steve is a serial entrepreneur and has founded six companies: Mouse Systems, FrameTechnology (acquired by Adobe), Infoseek (acquired by Disney), Propel, Abaca, and OneID. In September 2011, Steve started OneID a next-generation digital identity service that provides a safe and easy way to sign into websites and make payments online, eliminating the need for multiple usernames and passwords. He earned a BS degree in electrical engineering and an MS degree in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Michele, are active philanthropists. They started a foundation which donates to a wide variety of charitable causes, and were subsequently named the 1999 Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives. He is a 1997 Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.