Contributor

Craig Newmark

Founder, craigslist + Craig Newmark Foundation

Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer, speaker, philanthropist, and one of America’s most recognized nerds. In 2012 he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame. In 2013 he was named “Nerd-in-Residence” by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Center for Innovation in recognition of his volunteer work with the department to enhance services to veterans and military families. In 1995 Craig founded craigslist, the online classified advertising site that has seen more than 5 billion ads posted. While Craig has not been part of craigslist management since 2000, he stays connected to the site’s users through his involvement with Customer Service. In 2016 he created the Craig Newmark Foundation, a private foundation to promote philanthropy and civic engagement through a number of initiatives. The foundation supports charitable and education causes with a focus on consumer ‎protection and ‎education, veterans and military families, government transparency, public ‎diplomacy, voter ‎protection and education, micro-lending to alleviate poverty, and women in ‎technology.‎ Craig serves on the board of directors of the Poynter Foundation, Center for Public Integrity, Sunlight Foundation, Consumers Union/Consumer Reports, Women in Public Service Project, Blue Star Families, VetsInTech, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. He also serves on the Board of Overseers of the Columbia Journalism Review and as an advisor to nearly twenty other renowned non-profit organizations (see the full list at craigconnects.org/organizations). Born in Morristown, New Jersey in 1952, Craig received his bachelor and master’s degrees in computer science from Case Western Reserve University. He lives in San Francisco and enjoys bird-watching, squirrel-watching, science fiction, and TV. Craig communicates regularly through his own blog at craigconnects.org and through the Huffington Post, Facebook, LinkedIn, Medium, and Twitter. He also travels the country speaking about issues and appearing on behalf of organizations he supports. Updated February 2017