Barry Schule American entrepreneur, former chairman and CEO of America Online Inc. Date of Birth: 07.09.1953 Country: USA

1. Barry Schuler: A Visionary Leader in the Digital Revolution
2. Early Life and Educational Background
3. Embracing Technology and Entrepreneurialism
4. The AOL Journey
5. Post-AOL Ventures
6. Artistic Endeavors
7. Educational Reform
8. Winemaking

Barry Schuler: A Visionary Leader in the Digital Revolution

Barry Martin Schuler is an American entrepreneur and former Chairman and CEO of America Online Inc. (AOL). He is widely recognized for his pivotal role in simplifying AOL's user interface, bringing the internet to the masses.

Early Life and Educational Background

Born in West New York, New Jersey, Barry Schuler grew up surrounded by art and electronics. He developed a keen interest in photography, drawing, and sculpting, setting up a darkroom in his family's basement. His fascination with electronics led him to assist his father with television repairs.

As an undergraduate in psychology at Rutgers University in the early 1970s, Schuler's passion for filmmaking took hold. In 1976, he left university to pursue a full-time career in producing and directing.

Embracing Technology and Entrepreneurialism

An avid computer enthusiast and reader of 'Popular Electronics,' Barry Schuler befriended a group of software developers for microcomputers. Inspired by their work, he built his own IMSAI computer, gaining firsthand experience with the transformative potential of personal computing.

In 1978, Schuler founded CMP Communications, a publishing and marketing company that supported high-tech entrepreneurs. He left CMP in 1988 to focus on Cricket Software, which developed and marketed applications for the Apple Macintosh.

The AOL Journey

Later, Schuler co-founded Medior Inc. with his wife, Tracy, and David Goldman. Medior's design services were utilized by America Online. In 1995, AOL acquired Medior and tasked the company with making its service more user-friendly.

Schuler quickly rose through the ranks at AOL, becoming President of Interactive Services in 1998. During this period, he led the design team responsible for the AOL user interface, enabling millions of users to access the internet with ease.

Concurrently, Schuler championed AOL's instant messaging system (IM), which allowed subscribers to communicate with each other over the internet for free. By January 2001, when AOL announced its merger with Time-Warner, the system processed over 660 million messages per day from its 26 million users.

As Chairman and CEO of the AOL division, Schuler's mission was to transform the former internet service provider into an online destination that integrated Time-Warner's media businesses, including film, music, television, and publishing. AOL aimed to become a comprehensive hub where users could access everything they needed and more.

Schuler's contributions to AOL's success were widely acknowledged. BusinessWeek journalist Amy Borrus equated his importance to the company with that of CTO Robert Pittman or CEO Steve Case.

Post-AOL Ventures

After leaving AOL, Schuler invested in Ablation Industries Inc., which was renamed Raydiance. The company raised capital to commercialize new technologies, including ultrafast lasers capable of atomization. In June 2007, Raydiance entered into an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to explore applications of laser therapy from routine eye surgery to precision tumor removal.

In addition to his venture capital role with the Draper Fisher Jurvetson Growth Fund, Schuler served on the boards of UBMatrix, Hands On Mobile, UU See, Synthetic Genomics, and Visto.

Artistic Endeavors

Schuler's passion for filmmaking never waned. He produced and financed 'Look,' a film shot entirely from the perspective of security cameras. Released in December 2007 by Schuler's own Liberated Artists, 'Look' won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2007 CineVegas Film Festival and a Special Jury Prize at the Lone Star International Film Festival.

Educational Reform

Residing in Napa, California, Schuler is actively involved in promoting educational reform. He is a co-founder of the Blue Oak School, a non-profit educational venture. He also serves on the Advisory Council of the New Technology Foundation, which advocates for national education reform. Utilizing the foundation's prototype school, Schuler explores innovative approaches to teacher preparation, curriculum design, and resource utilization. This engagement enables him to develop and support online educational initiatives.

Winemaking

Alongside his wife, Tracy, Barry Schuler owns Meteor Vineyard. Their produce is highly sought after by local winemakers, with whom Schuler maintains strong collaborative relationships.