#WCW Sandra “Sandy” Lerner Co-Founder of Cisco. Sandy received her undergraduate degree in political science at California State University, a master’s degree in econometrics from Claremont Graduate School, and a master’s degree in statistics and computer science from Stanford University. During the early 1980’s while working at Stanford University as Director of Computer Facilities for the Graduate School of Business with Len Bosack, Director of Computer Facilities for Stanford’s Computer Science Department, they found they were unable to email each other from different buildings, because the networks weren’t able to talk to each other. In order to solve the issue they invented the technology to connect and translate one network to another, which is called “multi-protocol router” In 1984 Lerner and Bosack founded Cisco Systems Inc, which is now a world-wide leader in IT with their innovative Internet routers.
In August of 1990, Lerner stepped down as Vice President of Customer Service. Cisco went public later that year and Lerner and her husband (Len Bosack) found themselves in possession of $85 million in stock. They began selling off some of their stock and with much of it they created a charitable foundation. Through Cisco’s success Sandy became the first female philanthropist to emerge from the Silicon boom era and she has gone to fund a number of unusual pet projects, including the cosmetics company Urban Decay Inc, founded 1995.
Through the years Sandy has been influential in the tech world as well as for the well being of others, which is why Sandy Lerner is our Woman Crush Wednesday on October 14, 2015.
#wcw #sandylerner #tech #cisco #Internet #router #philanthropist
Content Source: www.notablebiographies.com/new…/2005-La-Pr/Lerner-Sandy.html
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