Santa Fe Institute

Bio

Greg Amadon grew up in California.  Amadon is a visionary who possesses the unique ability to imagine the possibilities and create products not generally thought possible - in the case of his last company- Terabeam (Free Space Laser communications) that created a 24 inch laser optical transceiver that when hung in an office window, delivered bi-directional gigabit local loop connectivity to the internet.  As CEO, Amadon raised over $500 million in private financing for Terabeam. 

An inventor at heart, Amadon also founded three other companies, Virtual IO (3D heads up display headsets); Cellular Technical Services (fraud prevention software for cellular telephone carriers) and Portable Technologies (real-time cell phone rental system for rental car companies).  He also built a high power telescopic video camera system while at CBS News to record video from distances of up to five miles away that was used extensively during the Reagan White House.  Amadon received a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University and currently holds 13 U.S. patents.  Amadon has been active philanthropically with the Aspen Institute, United Way’s Tocqueville Society, Stanford University, the University of Washington, Smith College, and Georgetown University.