Biosketch
An esteemed Triple River Hawk, Rich Miner is a visionary leader who has left an indelible mark on the global technology landscape. After earning his computer science degrees from UMass Lowell, Miner went on to co-found Android, which today is the world’s most popular mobile operating system with more than 3.6 billion users in 190 countries. This groundbreaking work revolutionized the way people interact with technology, enormously expanding the reach of the internet, information and apps.
In 2022, Miner’s generous $5 million donation led to the naming of the Richard A. Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences at UMass Lowell, a testament to his enduring legacy and commitment to his alma mater. The school is home to nearly 1,600 undergraduate students and more than 300 graduate students, making it the largest academic program on campus. Last fall, the school hosted its first Miner School Research Symposium, where Miner spoke with students about his transformative experience at the university.
As an undergraduate, Miner wrote computer programs for the Commodore 64, a first-generation gaming system. In his graduate years, his work with the university’s Center for Productivity Enhancement paved the way for breakthroughs in imagery, video digitization and videoconferencing. In that same university lab, he helped incubate Avid Technology, the world’s first computer video editing platform. He later went on to co-found Wildfire Communications, the first voice-based personal assistant — patenting many of the concepts now common in today’s voice assistants.
After selling Android to Google in 2005 and launching the first few releases, Miner co-founded GV, Google’s first venture fund. In that role, Miner played a key role in nurturing and supporting a diverse array of startups within the tech ecosystem, including Recorded Future, Toast, Hubspot and Tamr here in Massachusetts.
Miner’s career continues to be characterized by a relentless pursuit of innovation; he is currently still advising Google, angel investing and has co-founded a new “stealth startup” based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.