Origins

Origins  

The SF Bay Area Chapter was founded by Zaid Ali and Franck Martin. They first worked together as Internet pioneers and were instrumental in networking the island of Fiji and bringing the island nation online in the 1990s. Years later, in California they reconnected again in the tech industry in Silicon Valley, California. Together they began recruiting the 25 members necessary to start an official ISOC Chapter in Silicon Valley. Many applications for approval to the global ISOC organization were attempted over several years. The Chapter finally received official approval from the Internet Society Headquarters on February 16, 2009, and quickly became one of the largest ISOC Chapters in the world. Read the Founding Application. 

Founding Board Officers 2010

• • Zaid Ali, Chair
  • Annalisa Roger, Vice Chair
  • Ken Krechmer, Board Treasurer
  • Sophia Bekele, Board Secretary
  • Franck Martin, Board Member
  • Ted Hardie, Board Member

Find out more about our Founding Board and Founding Members.

Board Succession

• Chair
  Susannah Gray, 2017 – Current
  Leah Symekher, 2014 – 2016
  Michael Snell, 2013 – 2014
  Zaid Ali, Co-founder, 2009 – 2013
• Vice-Chair
  Fatema Kothari, 2017 – Current
  Susannah Gray, 2016 – 2017
  Konstantin Kalaitzidis, 2014 – 2016
  Leah Symekher, 2013-2014
  Annalisa Roger, Co-founder, 2009 – 2013
• Treasurer
  Ken Krechmer, Co-founder, 2009 – Current
• Board Secretary
  Misako Manca, 2017 – Current
  Ken Krechmer, 2012 – 2016
  Sophia Bekele, Co-founder, 2009 – 2012
• ICANN-NARALO Representatives
  Leah Symekher, 2014 – Current
  Eve Edelson, 2015 – Current
  Susannah Gray, 2016 – Current 
  Konstantin Kalaitzidis, 2014 – 2016
  Annalisa Roger, Co-Founder, 2009 – 2013

Find out more about our current Board members.

Founding Sponsors