In the 1970s, “the internet” wasn’t yet a thing. It was still just a government system of connected early computers. Not too many people knew what it was or what it would eventually do.
But Emmit McHenry had a vision.
He started Network Solutions, Inc, a technology consulting company, but even he couldn’t have imagined how significant his role would be in shaping the future.
The path forward wouldn’t be easy.
He was so far ahead of the game, technology-wise, that many people just didn’t understand what he was trying to do.
That, combined with the fact that he and his partners were Black, meant that finding financial investment was next to impossible because of racism. But they still managed to thrive.
Soon, the National Science Foundation called on them to help open the internet to businesses and make it usable for people.
His company essentially invented the domain registration system - you might know it as the “.com,” “.net,” and “.gov” that you see at the end of website addresses. This made what we now know as the internet possible!
Today, he’s still a wildly successful tech entrepreneur, which goes to show that holding your head up high, keeping your self-respect, and staying true to your vision in the face of oppression can literally transform the world!