Yossi Vardi.

Yossi Vardi

Tech Visionary, Mirabilis, Kinnernet

Considered by some to be the godfather of Israeli tech, Vardi was a major investor in Mirabilis, which was developed by his son Arik. Mirabilis was purchased by AOL for over $400 million and became more commonly known as instant messenger. Vardi also founded Kinnernet, an annual gathering of internet professionals, in 2003 as a way of getting like-minded tech-savvy individuals together to network. Vardi has also been active on the political front and has been involved in Israeli peace negotiations with Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority.