Steve Wood (entrepreneur)

Steve Wood (born 1952, full name Steven C. Wood ) is an American technology-industry programmer, manager, and investor best known as an early Microsoft employee.

Wood graduated with a BS from Case Western Reserve University and an MSEE from Stanford.

He was Employee No. 6 at Microsoft, but in 1980 one of the first original employees to leave, after his wife Marla Wood, then a bookkeeper, organized the non-exempt employees and filed an overtime pay dispute (later settled) against the company. He remained close to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and they joined together in various technology ventures. Wood held jobs with Asymetrix, Starwave, Interval Research, McCaw Cellular and Notable Technologies.

In 1996 Wood co-founded Wireless Services Corporation (now SinglePoint), which provides mobile messaging, and led it as President and CEO until 2004, and remains as Chairman. He also was President and CEO of Dategrity Corporation and he remains active on technology company boards and industry promotion groups.

He and his wife Marla have two children and live in Sammamish, Washington. The Woods' combined personal net worth is estimated at $15 million.