Reed Hastings

Reed Hastings is a successful American businessman and entrepreneur, best known for co-founding and serving as the CEO of Netflix, the popular streaming television and movie service. He started his career as a teacher and a Peace Corps volunteer. Then he began working in the software industry. In 1991, he co-founded Pure Software, a company that made tools for software developers, which was eventually acquired by Rational Software, which IBM acquired.

In 1997, along with Marc Randolph, he founded Netflix to provide a subscription-based service for renting DVDs by mail. The company struggled to gain traction during the early years, but by the early 2000s, it had begun to grow significantly. Then, in 2007, the company introduced its streaming service, which allowed customers to watch movies and television shows online. This move was a game-changer and marked the beginning of the streaming era as we know it today.

Under Hastings' leadership, Netflix has grown to become one of the most popular and influential platforms in the entertainment industry, with more than 208 million subscribers in more than 190 countries. The company's streaming service is now one of the primary ways people consume television and movies. In addition, it has led to the developing of new business models and technologies for the entertainment industry.

Hastings also serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the National Parent Teacher Association, the KIPP Foundation, and the California Charter Schools Association. He is also involved in education reform and is a proponent of incorporating technology and online learning in the classroom. He also is a philanthropist and committed advocate for education, and he and his wife founded a Hastings Foundation to support education.