Sandy Lerner

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Sandy Lerner
Alma materCalifornia State University, Chico
Claremont Graduate School
Stanford University
Known forCo-Founder of Cisco Systems
Co-Founder of Urban Decay
SpouseLeonard Bosack (divorced)

Sandy Lerner (born 1955) is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She co-founded Cisco Systems, and used the money from its sale to pursue interests in animal welfare and women's writing. One of her main projects, Chawton House, is in England, but most of her work remains in the United States.

Early life and education

She grew up on a farm in northern California.[1] She received her bachelor's degree in 1975 in political science from California State University, Chico, a master's degree in econometrics in 1977 from the Claremont Graduate School, and a master's degree in statistics and computer science in 1981 from Stanford University.

Cisco

In 1984, while working as Director of Computer Facilities for the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Lerner co-founded Cisco Systems with her then partner (and now ex-husband) Len Bosack. It is widely reported that Lerner and Bosack designed the first router so that they could connect the incompatible computer systems of the Stanford offices they were working in so that they could send romantic love letters to each other. However, this was a manufactured corporate legend.[2][3] In fact, both systems (SU-SCORE and SU-GSB) were TOPS-20 systems. The systems were the same and therefore obviously not incompatible, but the SU-GSB system was not on any network. It has also been noted that the original router was designed and created by a group of people at Stanford, both students and faculty, rather than Lerner and Bosack alone.[3]

Lerner and Bosack brought in John Morgridge to be the third CEO of Cisco in 1988. On August 28, 1990, Lerner was fired; upon hearing the news, Bosack resigned to show his support for her. The two sold all of their stock for $170 million[1] and retired from Cisco. Lerner and Bosask divorced in the early 1990s.

Other business projects

Lerner placed a portion of her stock earnings into a start-up venture capital limited partnership called "& Capital Partners." One of the companies it funded was Urban Decay Cosmetics, with the tag line "does pink make you puke?"[4] [5] In February 2000, Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the French luxury goods conglomerate, acquired the firm. It was spun off from LVMH in December 2002.

She started moving to Virginia in 1995. She primarily resides at her 800-acre (3.2 km2) estate, Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, that she acquired in 1996. The circa-1912, 42-room Edwardian mansion of native fieldstone has since been restored and is used for a variety of social functions under Lerner's direction.[6] Ayrshire Farm's mission is to farm sustainably and profitably, promoting the benefits of locally produced, humanely-raised meats and organic produce to the consumer, the community, and children through education, outreach and example. The farm sells its products online[7] and locally from Gentle Harvest in Marshall, VA.

Lerner also owns the Hunter's Head Tavern[8] in Upperville, Virginia.

Artistic projects and philanthropy

Lerner early showed her predilection for English architecture by building a home in Los Altos, California for which she imported a 2 1/2 story glass garden tower and created an English rose garden. The house still stands.

Lerner is involved in a number of high-tech and philanthropic activities. In 1992, through the foundation she shares with Leonard Bosack, she invested money into the restoration of Chawton House, the manor house in the English county of Hampshire that had been owned by Jane Austen's brother, Edward Austen Knight. Chawton House opened in 2003 as the Centre for the Study of Early Women's Writing, 1600-1830. The Chawton House Library has a collection of over 9,000 books, mainly related to the literary genre of women's writing, and original manuscripts. The Library works in partnership with the University of Southampton, and provides an important resource for the university's MA in 18th Century Study.[9]

In November 2011, she published a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice titled Second Impressions using the pen name of Ava Farmer (for "a Virginia farmer"); she plans to make it into a movie.[10]

In August 2017, Lerner released Caticons [11], a book of art imitating cats.

Awards and recognition

Lerner was awarded an honorary doctorate by Southampton in recognition of her work with Chawton House and an OBE from the Queen in 2015.[citation needed] She received honorary doctorates from Washington and Jefferson College; Goucher College; Shenandoah University; Chico State University; and Winchester College.[citation needed]

In 2009, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society honored Sandra Lerner and Leonard Bosack with its Computer Entrepreneur Award "for founding Cisco Systems and pioneering and advancing the commercialization of routing technology and the profound changes this technology enabled in the computer industry."[12]

On 19 November, 2014 Lerner was presented with the Technology Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer award at the United Nations.[13]

Lerner was featured in the documentary film Something Ventured (2011). She was also featured in part 2 of the PBS documentary Nerds 2.0.1.

In 2015, Lerner was presented with her honorary OBE. She was presented the award by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, for her contributions to UK culture.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b Nicholls, Walter (June 22, 2005). "Two Starts and a Stir". Washington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  2. ^ "Router man". Networkworld.com. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Pete Carey (January 12, 2001). "A start-up's true tale". Mercury News.
  4. ^ "Does pink make you puke?". Forbes. August 25, 1997.
  5. ^ "Urban Decay history"
  6. ^ Bellafante, G. (June 23, 2005). "All That Glitters Is Not Silicon". The New York Times.
  7. ^ "Ayrshire Farm". Store.ayrshirefarm.com. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  8. ^ "HHHome". Huntersheadtavern.com. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  9. ^ Chawton House Website Southampton Section
  10. ^ Julian Guthrie, "Cisco founder pens sequel to 'Pride and Prejudice'", San Francisco Chronicle, May 30, 2012 . Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  11. ^ https://www.caticons.info/
  12. ^ "Computer Society Connection". Computer Society Digital Library. 43 (03): 77-80. March 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  13. ^ "2014 Pioneer Awards". womenseday.org. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  14. ^ "Dr Sandy Lerner's OBE: A Special Day in Pictures ~ Chawton House". Chawton House. May 22, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2018.


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