John Lilly (computer scientist)
{{Short description|American venture capitalist}}
{{Other people|John Lilly|John Lilly (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox person
|name = John Lilly
|image = John Lilly of Mozilla.jpg
|caption =
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|other_names =
|known_for = Mozilla Corp. CEO (2008–2010)
Venture capitalism
|occupation = Board Chair, Code for America{{cite web |last1=Fried |first1=Ina |title=Code for America names new CEO |url=https://www.axios.com/code-for-america-amanda-renteria-ceo-57aba845-961c-47a6-a37b-94886af9b1d2.html |website=Axios |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=America |first1=Code for |title=Board members |url=https://www.codeforamerica.org/about-us/board-members |website=Code for America |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en}}
Lecturer in Management, Stanford University
}}
John Lilly is a venture capitalist{{cite web |last1=Rosoff |first1=Matt |title=A top investor nails why Microsoft is getting more respect in Silicon Valley these days |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/greylock-vc-john-lillly-praises-microsoft-2016-4 |website=Business Insider |accessdate=26 May 2020}} and former CEO of Mozilla. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Open Source Applications Foundation and Code for America. He earned his B.S. in computer systems engineering and M.S. in computer science from Stanford University.{{cite web |title=John O. Lilly |url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/john-o-lilly |website=Stanford Graduate School of Business |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en}}
Career
= Reactivity =
Lilly co-founded{{cite book |last1=Sutton |first1=Robert I. |title=Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation |date=2002 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-1212-0 |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6UaSc8m8nSoC&q=john%20lilly%20reactivity |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en}} and served the CTO for Reactivity, a start-up focused on consulting on technically difficult websites and incubating new companies.{{cite book |last1=Sutton |first1=Robert I. |title=Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best... and Learn from the Worst |date=2010 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=978-0-446-55847-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n19OZlQi0NwC&q=john%20lilly%20reactivity |language=en}} Cisco Systems bought Reactivity in 2007 for $135 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytech.com/Cisco+Buys+Reactivity+Inc+for+135+Million/article6178.htm|title=Cisco Buys Reactivity Inc. for $135 Million|first=Tuan|last=Nguyen|date=February 21, 2007|access-date=November 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126083222/http://www.dailytech.com/Cisco+Buys+Reactivity+Inc+for+135+Million/article6178.htm|archive-date=November 26, 2015|url-status=dead}}
= Mozilla =
Lilly was the chief executive officer of the Mozilla Corporation from 2008 to 2010.{{cite book |last1=Oinas-Kukkonen |first1=H. |title=Humanizing the Web: Change and Social Innovation |date=2013 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-137-30570-1 |page=203 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fmc5TFZmnfsC&q=lilly%202008%202010%20ceo%20mozilla |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en}} The corporation, a subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation, coordinates development of open-source Mozilla Internet applications, including the Firefox web browser. Lilly, previously Mozilla's chief operating officer, succeeded Mitchell Baker as CEO in January 2008.
In May 2010, Lilly announced he would step down as CEO.{{cite web |last1=Lawson |first1=Stephen |title=Mozilla CEO John Lilly plans to step down |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2517313/mozilla-ceo-john-lilly-plans-to-step-down.html |website=Computerworld |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en |date=11 May 2010}} Lilly was succeeded by Gary Kovacs on November 8, 2010.{{cite web |last1=Dignan |first1=Larry |title=Mozilla names Gary Kovacs as chief exec |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/mozilla-names-gary-kovacs-as-chief-exec/ |website=ZDNet |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en}} Lilly left Mozilla's board of directors in March 2014, reportedly over the appointment of Brendan Eich as CEO.{{cite web |last1=Lowensohn |first1=Josh |title=Half of Mozilla's board reportedly resign over new CEO choice |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/3/28/5559284/half-of-mozillas-board-reportedly-resign-over-new-ceo-choice |website=The Verge |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en |date=28 March 2014}}
= Venture capital =
Lilly joined the venture capital firm Greylock Partners as a partner in 2011. His investments include Instagram,{{cite web |last1=Carr |first1=Austin |title=Investment Hunting With Greylock Partner, Instagram Backer John Lilly |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1839156/investment-hunting-greylock-partner-instagram-backer-john-lilly |website=Fast Company |accessdate=26 May 2020 |date=4 June 2012}} Dropbox, Tumblr, Quip,{{cite magazine |last1=Mehta |first1=Stephanie |title=A Top Silicon Valley V.C. Explains Why Slack Drives Him Crazy |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/04/john-lilly-explains-why-slack-drives-him-crazy |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=22 April 2016 |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en}} and MessageMe.{{cite web |last1=Ludwig |first1=Sean |title=MessageMe nabs $10M from Greylock, Google, & others to take on WhatsApp |url=https://venturebeat.com/2013/05/17/messageme-10m-funding/ |website=VentureBeat |accessdate=26 May 2020 |date=17 May 2013}} Lilly left the firm in January 2019 to dedicate himself more to activism, explaining "it’s crystal clear that 2019 & 2020 are crucially important years — certainly the most important time in a generation, but maybe much longer than that."{{cite web |last1=Schleifer |first1=Theodore |title=The investment firm famous for its early bet on Facebook has been losing top talent |url=https://www.vox.com/2019/1/18/18187574/greylock-departures-john-lilly-reid-hoffman-facebook |website=Vox |accessdate=26 May 2020 |language=en |date=18 January 2019}}
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite web|url=http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/mitchell/archives/2008/01/mozilla_corporation_ceo_and_ch.html|work=Mozillazine|title=Mitchell's Blog|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112093801/http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/mitchell/archives/2008/01/mozilla_corporation_ceo_and_ch.html#trackbacks|archivedate=2008-01-12}}
- {{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/technology/08mozilla.html|work=The New York Times|title=Mozilla Names New Chief, but Reaffirms Open-Source Commitment|date=8 January 2008 |last1=Markoff |first1=John }}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.physorg.com/news142061941.html|work=Physorg|title=Q & A with John Lilly, CEO of Mozilla Corp|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201190346/http://www.physorg.com/news142061941.html|archivedate=2008-12-01}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://john.jubjubs.net/ John Lilly's Weblog] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611003851/http://john.jubjubs.net/ |date=2010-06-11 }}
{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=Mitchell Baker}}
{{s-ttl|title=CEO of Mozilla Corporation
|years=7 January 2008 – 2010}}
{{s-aft|after=Gary Kovacs}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lilly, John}}
Category:Douglas MacArthur High School (San Antonio) alumni
Category:Stanford University School of Engineering alumni
Category:American chief executives of financial services companies
Category:American technology chief executives
Category:American chief operating officers
Category:Open source advocates
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century American businesspeople
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