Nolan Bushnell, 56, is known as "the father of electronic entertainment." He is the technology entrepreneur who kicked off the video game craze when he created the coin-operated "Pong" game and founded Atari Corp. in 1972 with $250. He served as CEO until he sold the company to Warner Communications Inc. in 1976 for $28 million. Atari, which developed such games as Breakout and Asteroids, was an industry pioneer of video games for consumer and coin-operated markets and achieved $2 billion in annual sales in 1981. However, after suffering heavy losses as interest in Atari products weakened, Warner sold the company in 1984.

After his Atari venture, Bushnell founded Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater, a 250-restaurant chain featuring video game arcades. In 1981, he established Catalyst Technologies, a venture capital firm that served as an incubator for technology-oriented companies. Among them were Etak, a creator of automobile navigation systems that was later acquired by News Corp., and ByVideo, which developed the first point-of-purchase video kiosk using touch screen technology. From 1991 to 1995 he served as the chairman of OCTuS, Inc., which created integrated voice and data communication systems. He also teamed with Commodore to develop interactive multimedia products based on Commodore's Amiga PC.

He currently serves as chairman and CEO of uWink.com Inc., a developer of an e-commerce, games and entertainment network housed on public touch screen terminals. In June 1999, Wave Systems Corp. named Bushnell, to its Board of Directors. In addition, the AMD Professional Gamers' League appointed him as its first commissioner.

Born February 5, 1943 in Ogden, Utah, he is married, with 7 children. A holder of numerous patents, Bushnell graduated from the University of Utah in 1968 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He also attended Stanford University's Graduate School.