Where would we be without the internet? And where would the internet be without Steve Case? Although he didn’t invent the internet, Steve certainly revolutionized the way we use it.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, Steve Case traveled halfway around the globe to Massachusetts for college, where he received a degree in political science from Williams College in 1980. Like many successful entrepreneurs, Steve tried out different jobs before settling on what would lead to his success. He worked as a brand manager for Proctor & Gamble and as manager of new pizza marketing for Pizza Hut, Inc., among others, before settling in at newly formed Quantum Computer Services in 1985, where he worked as vice president of marketing.

Steve, a JA alumnus, was familiar with modem technology through his brother, an investment banker who introduced Steve to the CEO of Control Video Corporation, which offered a service for users to download games via phone line. Steve worked for Control Video for a time before moving on to work for one of its investors after it went bankrupt. In 1985, Jim Kimsey founded Quantum Computer Sciences from what was left of Control Video, creating an online service called Quantum Link or Q-Link for the Commodore 64 computer. Q-Link provided electronic mail services, online chat, public domain file sharing libraries, online news, and instant messaging services. Three years later, Quantum expanded its service to Apple and PC computers. In 1991, Kimsey retired and Case took over as CEO. The company also formally changed its name to America Online, merging the Apple and PC services. In 1991, the world launched into what is casually known as the internet age. Under Steve’s leadership, AOL launched interactive online games to its users, but its greatest feature was the ability to connect people from anywhere in the world via email and instant messaging services. Early competitors such as Prodigy focused largely on online shopping, while CompuServe focused solely on information. AOL’s focus on connecting people and allowing them to interact with one another was a key driver of the service’s early success.

In 2001, AOL merged with media giant Time Warner. Together, they made one of the world’s largest media, entertainment, and communications companies. At its peak in 2002, AOL boasted 26.7 million subscribers. Steve continued to serve as CEO until 2003 and served on the company’s board of directors for nearly three more years.

After AOL, Steve followed his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship and founded investment firm Revolution LLC, which has funded nearly 40 companies. He has been a leading voice in shaping government policy on issues related to entrepreneurship and business startups, and is also an outspoken advocate for immigration reform in the United States. He was inducted into the Global Business Hall of Fame in 2009.