# Mitch Kapor > entrepreneur, founder of the Lotus Development Corporation, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation (born 1950) **Wikidata**: [Q724160](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q724160) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Kapor) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mitch-kapor ## Summary Mitch Kapor is an American entrepreneur who founded Lotus Development Corporation, co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and served as the founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation. His career has significantly shaped the personal software industry and digital rights landscape. ## Biography - Born: November 1, 1950, in Brooklyn - Nationality: United States - Education: - Bachelor of Science in cybernetics from Yale University (1971) - MIT Sloan School of Management - Also attended Yale College, Freeport High School, and Ezra Stiles College - Known for: Founding Lotus Development Corporation, co-founding the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation - Employer(s): Lotus Development Corporation (founder), Electronic Frontier Foundation (co-founder), Mozilla Foundation (founding chair) - Field(s): Computer science, software engineering, business ## Contributions Mitch Kapor founded Lotus Development Corporation, which developed Lotus 1-2-3, a pioneering spreadsheet program that became one of the best-selling software applications of the 1980s. He co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation and served as its chairman. Kapor became the founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation, overseeing the development of the Firefox web browser. His contributions have earned him recognition including the EFF Award in 2005, the Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility in 2003, and a Computer History Museum Fellowship. His archives are preserved at the Computer History Museum. ## FAQs ### Q: What is Mitch Kapor most famous for? A: Mitch Kapor is most famous for founding Lotus Development Corporation and developing the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program, which became one of the most successful software applications of the 1980s. ### Q: What is the Electronic Frontier Foundation? A: The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is a non-profit organization co-founded by Mitch Kapor that focuses on defending civil liberties in the digital world, advocating for digital privacy, free speech, and innovation on the electronic frontier. ### Q: What role did Mitch Kapor play in the development of Firefox? A: Mitch Kapor served as the founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation, which oversees the development of the Firefox web browser and other open-source projects. ### Q: What awards has Mitch Kapor received for his contributions? A: Mitch Kapor has received the EFF Award in 2005, the Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility in 2003, and a Computer History Museum Fellowship for his contributions to the technology industry and digital rights advocacy. ## Why They Matter Mitch Kapor's work significantly impacted the personal software industry through founding Lotus Development Corporation, which developed Lotus 1-2-3, a pioneering spreadsheet program. As co-founder and chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, he helped establish the organization dedicated to protecting civil liberties in the digital world. As founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation, he oversaw the development of Firefox web browser, contributing to open-source software development. Kapor's career demonstrates a consistent commitment to technological innovation with ethical considerations, as recognized by his numerous awards including the EFF Award and Norbert Wiener Award. ## Notable For - Founder of Lotus Development Corporation, creator of Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program - Co-founder and first chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation - Founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation - Recipient of the EFF Award (2005) for contributions to digital rights - Recipient of the Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility (2003) - Computer History Museum Fellow for contributions to computing history ## Body ### Early Life and Education Mitch Kapor was born on November 1, 1950, in Brooklyn. He attended Freeport High School before pursuing higher education at Yale University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in cybernetics in 1971. He also attended Yale College and was affiliated with Ezra Stiles College. Later, he attended the MIT Sloan School of Management to further his business education. ### Career at Lotus Development Corporation Kapor founded Lotus Development Corporation in the early 1980s, where he served as president. The company developed Lotus 1-2-3, a spreadsheet program that became one of the best-selling software applications of the 1980s. Under Kapor's leadership, Lotus grew into a major software company. ### Digital Rights Advocacy Kapor co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an organization created to defend civil liberties in the digital world. The organization has become a leading voice on issues of digital privacy, free speech, and innovation. Kapor served as the EFF's first chairman, playing a crucial role in establishing its mission and direction during its formative years. ### Open Source and Mozilla Foundation Kapor's commitment to open-source technology led him to become the founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation in 2003. In this role, he oversaw the development of the Firefox web browser and other open-source projects. ### Awards and Recognition Mitch Kapor has received numerous awards recognizing his contributions to technology and digital rights. In 2003, he received the Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility. In 2005, he was honored with the EFF Award for his dedication to digital civil liberties. He has also been named a Fellow of the Computer History Museum, recognizing his significant impact on computing history. His papers and archives are preserved at the Computer History Museum, ensuring his legacy is accessible for future generations. ### Current Activities While the source material doesn't specify Kapor's current activities, it does indicate he maintains an active Twitter account (@mkapor) as of 2023, with over 113,000 followers. His continued presence on social media suggests he remains engaged in technology and digital rights discussions. ## References 1. [Source](http://www.thocp.net/biographies/kapor_schneider_mitch.htm) 2. [EFF Awards: Past Winners. 2017](https://www.eff.org/awards/past-winners) 3. [Source](http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102657943) 4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 5. Google Knowledge Graph