Barry Schuler

As a child, Barry Schuler loved taking things apart and putting them together again. That hobby eventually led to a fascination with computers and, ultimately, to becoming one of the most influential executives in the communications industry. In 1989, he and his wife, Tracy, founded Medior Inc., a multimedia design firm. Medior pioneered the use of interactive multimedia for such applications as e-commerce, digital music, and entertainment. The company also developed the product that propelled AOL to become the top consumer online service. AOL acquired Medior in 1995, and Schuler became an AOL executive. When AOL merged with Time Warner, Schuler became AOL’s chair and CEO. He has been credited as the product visionary who helped make email, instant messaging, and e-commerce a part of everyday life. Schuler is also deeply committed to educational reform. He is a cofounder of the Blue Oak School, an independent progressive school in California, and a cofounder of Project Lincoln, designed to liberate public schools from outdated academic and financial models.