• The Palm Team, Jeff Hawkins, Donna Dubinsky, and Ed Colligan, created groundbreaking handheld computers and early smartphones that laid the foundation for modern mobile computing—making it possible for us to have email, calendars, apps, and the internet in our pockets every day. 

• John Chowning invented FM audio synthesis, turning computers into instruments and shaping the sound of the 1980s and beyond. Today the music, games, and digital experiences we listen to are filled with rich, vibrant sounds that trace back to his innovation. 

• Brewster Kahle pioneered internet search and digital preservation, founding the Internet Archive to safeguard not only the web, but also music, books, news, radio, and public documents. Now, anyone can explore, learn, and enjoy the world’s shared knowledge and culture at any time. 

The CHM Fellow Awards honor distinguished technology pioneers—unsung heroes and legends—for their outstanding merit and significant contributions to the advancement of computing and the evolution of the digital age. This year’s Fellow Awards gala will take place on April 25, 2026, at CHM.  

“Our 2026 Fellows have put computing power in our hands, shaped the music that has brought joy to millions, and increased access to knowledge worldwide,” said CHM President and CEO Marc Etkind. “Together, they embody CHM’s vision, and we honor them for transforming our digital world and helping to create a better future.” 

This prestigious program is supported by collecting, education, research, and media efforts that reflect the seminal work of each Fellow honoree and preserve their stories for future generations. Fellows are selected annually through a public nomination process and honored at an exclusive gala ceremony. Selections are made by a panel of historians, researchers, industry leaders, CHM staff, and past Fellows. 

Over its three-decade history, the Fellow Awards have demonstrated the diverse ways people have contributed to computing. Previous winners include NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, NASA mathematician and “hidden figure” Katherine Johnson, creator of Java James Gosling, software pioneer Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, semiconductor pioneer Gordon Moore, and World Wide Web creator Tim Berners Lee. 

For more information about the 2026 Fellow Awards and the history of the program, please visit the Museum’s website. 

About CHM 
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is dedicated to decoding technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. Located in Silicon Valley, the Museum curates the world’s foremost collection of artifacts and oral histories, documenting the people, companies, and technological innovations that have shaped the world. Supported by staff, partners, volunteers, pioneers, and visionaries from around the world, CHM offers dynamic experiences spanning research, exhibits, events, and an unparalleled collection. The Museum strives to engage and inspire audiences, empowering them to become informed digital citizens and make choices for a better future. 

Press contact: Carina Sweet, csweet@computerhistory.org, 650.810.1059

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“OpenCHM is designed to inspire discovery, spark curiosity, and make the stories of the digital age more accessible to everyone, everywhere,” said CHM President and CEO Marc Etkind. “We’re unlocking the collection for new audiences to explore.” 

OpenCHM is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and other generous donors, and this launch represents a major milestone in CHM’s multi-year digitization initiative. Designed in collaboration with KeepThinking, the portal is powered by their innovative Qi collection management system.

“We were excited by the prospect of CHM opening up their unique collections to broader audiences, from scholars and teachers to students and the public. The balance of the engaging, curated narratives by CHM’s own historians and field experts along with the tools and capabilities to explore one’s own interests makes the platform truly compelling. The Moore Foundation also values the OpenCHM team’s commitment to thoughtful design and documentation, which we hope will inspire and enable other organizations to share their collections more openly.”—Janet Coffey, Program Director, Science, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation 

The OpenCHM platform expands worldwide access to CHM’s vast collection through a digital portal, and ongoing digitization regularly adds more historical materials. Along with the collection, the portal introduces new digital storytelling and discovery tools designed to bring the history of the technology revolution to life for both experts and general audiences.  

OpenCHM features include: 

• Advanced search tools with smart filters for documents, images, software, objects, and more allowing users to explore specific artifacts, archives, and oral histories. 
• Curator picks and stories that highlight visionary pioneers and groundbreaking innovations. 
• Highlights and discovery wall showcasing rare and iconic artifacts. 
• My albums empowers users to create, save, and share custom folders filled with the materials they choose. 
• Developer portal offering access to APIs, sample code, and registration. 

OpenCHM advances CHM’s mission to preserve and interpret the history of technology while making it broadly accessible as a public resource. 

About CHM  
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is the leading museum decoding computing’s ongoing impact on our world. We are uniquely positioned to cull the key lessons of the past and—through our research, exhibits, events, and incomparable collection of computing artifacts—create informed digital citizens empowered to make the choices that will shape a better future.  

Press contact: Carina Sweet, csweet@computerhistory.org, 650.810.1059

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“Google is delighted to contribute the source code for the groundbreaking AlexNet work to the Computer History Museum,” said Jeff Dean, chief scientist, Google DeepMind and Google Research. “This code underlies the landmark paper ‘ImageNet Classification with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks,’ by Alex Krizhevsky, Ilya Sutskever, and Geoffrey Hinton, which revolutionized the field of computer vision and is one of the most cited papers of all time.” 

For more information about the release of this historic source code, visit CHM’s blog post here. 

By the late 2000s, Hinton’s graduate students at the University of Toronto were beginning to use graphics processing units (GPUs) to train neural networks for image recognition tasks, and their success suggested that deep learning could be a solution to general-purpose AI. Sutskever, one of the students, believed that the performance of neural networks would scale with the amount of data available, and the arrival of ImageNet provided the opportunity. Completed in 2009, ImageNet was a dataset of images developed by Stanford professor Fei-Fei Li that was larger than any previous image dataset by several orders of magnitude. 

In 2011, Sutskever persuaded Krizhevsky, a fellow graduate student, to train a neural network for ImageNet. With Hinton serving as faculty advisor, Krizhevsky did so on a computer with two NVIDIA cards. Over the course of the next year, he continuously refined and retrained the network until it achieved performance superior to its competitors. The network would ultimately be named AlexNet, after Krizhevsky. In describing the AlexNet project, Hinton told CHM, “Ilya thought we should do it, Alex made it work, and I got the Nobel Prize.” 

Before AlexNet, very few machine learning researchers used neural networks. After it, almost all of them would. Google eventually acquired the company started by Hinton, Krizhevsky and Sutskever, and a Google team led by David Bieber worked with CHM for five years to secure its release to the public. 

About CHM Software Source Code
The Computer History Museum has the world’s most diverse archive of software and related material. The stories of software’s origins and impact on the world provide inspiration and lessons for the future to global audiences—including young coders and entrepreneurs. The Museum has released other historic source code such as APPLE II DOS, IBM APL, Apple MacPaint and QuickDraw, Apple Lisa, and Adobe Photoshop. Visit our website to learn more.    

About CHM
The Computer History Museum’s mission is to decode technology—the computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. From the heart of Silicon Valley, we share insights gleaned from our research, our events, and our incomparable collection of computing artifacts and oral histories to convene, inform, and empower people to shape a better future.   

CHM press contact:  
Carina Sweet 
csweet@computerhistory.org 
650.810.1059 

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., February 19, 2025, The Computer History Museum (CHM), the leading institution working to decode technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity—is pleased to announce the appointment of Marc Etkind as president and chief executive officer, effective April 14, 2025. 

Etkind joins CHM with an extensive background in science and technology media, most recently as head of communications at NASA, where he led a team of 400 people across 10 centers, with responsibility for news, exhibits, and historical preservation. He shaped and shared the NASA story during a wide range of milestones, such as America’s return to the moon with the launch of Artemis 1 and the release of the first awe-inspiring images from the James Webb Space Telescope. He also spearheaded a digital transformation for the agency, creating NASA+, its new streaming service, and modernizing the award-winning NASA.gov website, all while expanding the reach of more than a dozen social media platforms to engage nearly 400 million followers.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Marc as CHM’s next CEO,” said Eileen Fagan, chair of the Board of Trustees’ search committee. “He is a transformative, inspirational, and thoughtful leader with extensive experience engaging and expanding audiences. His dedication to sharing his lifelong love of science and technology, coupled with his storytelling expertise, make him the perfect leader to help CHM grow and build.” 

Prior to his tenure at NASA, Etkind was the general manager of the Science Channel and has held key executive roles at the History and Discovery channels. His production credits include NOVA, Scientific American Frontiers with Alan Alda, MythBusters Jr., and BattleBots.  

“I’m excited for this opportunity to extend CHM’s reputation as a trusted institution in Silicon Valley to the world,” Etkind said. “As AI fundamentally transforms our lives, CHM has a crucial role decoding its impact and inspiring people everywhere to become informed digital citizens. CHM has an incredible team, and we’re going to do great things together.”

As CEO, Etkind will guide CHM into its next phase of growth, strengthening its leadership in preserving and sharing computing history while executing its Strategy to 2030. This plan aims to engage millions worldwide through world-class experiences, both physical and digital, that highlight technology’s profound impact and empower people to shape a better future.

Etkind succeeds Dan’l Lewin, who joined CHM in 2018. During his tenure, Lewin guided the Museum through a critical period, reimagining its mission and vision to focus on computing’s impact on humanity. Lewin stewarded and strengthened relationships with dozens of corporate, individual, and foundation supporters, and he ensured CHM’s continued success during the pandemic, when it was forced to close its doors.  

Said Steve Smith, chair of CHM’s Board of Trustees: “As Dan’l retires from CHM, he leaves the Museum and his successor with a strong strategic and operational foundation. CHM has momentum to reach, educate, and inspire a global community of digital citizens for generations to come. We are grateful for his seven productive years of leadership.” 

About CHM 
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is the leading museum decoding computing’s ongoing impact on our world. We are uniquely positioned to cull the key lessons of the past and—through our research, exhibits, events, and incomparable collection of computing artifacts—create informed digital citizens empowered to make the choices that will shape a better future.  

Press contact: Carina Sweet, csweet@computerhistory.org, 650.810.1059 

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Spanning 2,000 square feet, the exhibit explains the evolution of chatbots, from their early roots with innovators like Alan Turing to the rise of modern AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT. Designed for audiences high school-aged and above, “Chatbots Decoded” presents a dynamic and engaging exploration of AI’s impact on work, education, and society, addressing critical questions about trust, ethics, and the human connection with intelligent machines.

Key features of the exhibit include:

• Interactive experiences: Engage with historical chatbots such as ELIZA and A.L.I.C.E., alongside AMECA—a state-of-the-art humanoid robot by Engineered Arts that interacts with visitors in multiple languages using advanced AI technology.
• Artifacts: Explore more than 30 artifacts on the evolution of conversational AI technology, including rare early AI machines, talking toys, and a prototype of the first Amazon Echo.
• Immersive Video: Surround yourself in wall sized projection imagery, as you journey through an age-old fascination with machines that talk.
• Polling and feedback stations: Visitors can participate in live, interactive polls to share their thoughts on AI’s impact and future.

“We wanted to create a fully immersive and interactive exhibit that not only traces the evolution of chatbots but also invites visitors to think critically about AI’s growing role in our lives,” said Kirsten Tashev, Chief Curatorial and Exhibitions Officer at CHM. “From exploring early breakthroughs to engaging with cutting-edge technology, this exhibit brings the complex world of AI to life in a way that is accessible, entertaining, thought-provoking, and beautiful.”

The exhibit reflects CHM’s mission to decode technology by connecting computing’s past with its present and future implications for humanity. “Chatbots Decoded” exemplifies CHM’s commitment to empowering visitors to engage with AI technologies critically and thoughtfully.

“Chatbots are at the forefront of today’s technology discussions,” said Dan’l Lewin, CHM President and CEO. “This exhibit not only provides historical context but also allows our visitors to explore the implications of these technologies and form their own perspectives on their potential impacts.”

The exhibit features insights and contributions from AI pioneers, technologists, and thought leaders, including Reid Hoffman (co-founder of OpenAI), Adam Cheyer (co-creator of Siri), Lauren Kunze (founder of Pandorabots), and Fei-Fei Li (AI specialist). In partnership with Engineered Arts, CHM also brings AMECA, an advanced humanoid robot, to the exhibit, creating a unique interactive experience.

Key companies such as Amazon, GitHub, Microsoft, Khan Academy, and Google contributed objects and images, and CHM collaborated with 3Blue1Brown on an animation explaining large language models, making complex AI concepts accessible to all visitors.

Location and Visitor Information: The exhibit is located at 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA. CHM is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is priced at $19.50, with discounted options for seniors, students, and youth. Additional online content and events related to the exhibit will be available in the coming year. 

About CHM 
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is dedicated to decoding technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. Located in Silicon Valley, the Museum is uniquely positioned to cull the key lessons of the past and—through our research, exhibits, events, and incomparable collection of computing artifacts—create informed digital citizens empowered to make the choices that will shape a better future.

Press contact: Carina Sweet, csweet@computerhistory.org, 650.810.1059 

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This year’s honorees include: 

• Atari Team: Allan Alcorn, Nolan Bushnell, and Steven Mayer: For their pioneering role in the development of the video game and personal computing industries.
• Elizabeth “Jake” Feinler: For inspiring and creative leadership of the Network Information Centers that helped shape today’s internet.
• Jensen Huang: For visionary leadership in the advancement of devices and systems for computer graphics, accelerated computing and artificial intelligence.  

Through the Museum’s ongoing work, the stories of these honorees will be preserved and shared, providing insights into the evolution of technology and its impact on society. The Fellow Awards ceremony is an opportunity for attendees to meet and celebrate these groundbreaking individuals.

The ceremony will include short documentary films of the honorees’ lives and careers; acceptance speeches by the honorees; and tributes by award presenters. Game industry pioneer David Crane will present the award to the Atari team; Steve Crocker, internet pioneer and computer scientist, will present the award to Elizabeth “Jake” Feinler; and, Mark Stevens, managing partner at S-Cubed Capital, will present the award to Jensen Huang. CHM trustee and chief product officer at Character.ai, Erin Teague, will emcee the event.  

The event is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. Headline sponsor Oracle, Fellows sponsors Accenture and NVIDIA, and several corporate sponsors and individuals contributed to ensuring the celebration is a success.

“Inducting new Fellows is one of the highlights of our year at CHM,” said President and CEO Dan’l Lewin. “This event offers a unique opportunity to honor these exceptional individuals who have made transformative contributions to the digital world we know today.”

Over its nearly four-decade history, the Fellow Awards have demonstrated the diverse ways people have contributed to computing. Previous winners include Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, NASA mathematician and “hidden figure” Katherine Johnson, creator of Java James Gosling, software pioneer Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, semiconductor pioneer Gordon Moore, and World Wide Web creator Tim Berners Lee.

For more information about the 2024 Fellow Awards and the history of the program, please visit the Museum’s website. 

About CHM
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is dedicated to decoding technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. Located in Silicon Valley, the Museum is uniquely positioned to cull the key lessons of the past and through our research, exhibits, events, and incomparable collection of computing artifacts create informed digital citizens empowered to make the choices that will shape a better future. 

Press contact: Carina Sweet, csweet@computerhistory.org, 650.810.1059 

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“CHM’s Trustees are incredibly grateful for Dan’l’s inspired leadership and key contributions during his six-year tenure,” said Steve Smith, CHM’s board chair. “He brought a bold, clear vision, guided the Museum through the pandemic, recruited and managed a talented leadership team, and laid a solid foundation for the Museum’s future.

“CHM’s momentum and location at the epicenter of computing make it a compelling opportunity for CEO candidates,” Smith added. “The Museum is guided by a strong strategy focused on reaching audiences around the world to build a global community. The next decade will be transformational for CHM, and we’ll be looking for a committed leader with a record of innovation and execution.”

Since Lewin joined CHM in 2018, the institution has made tremendous strides, reimagining its mission and vision to decode technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity—to shape a better future.

Lewin has stewarded and strengthened relationships with dozens of corporate, individual, and foundation supporters, and under his leadership the Museum has raised approximately $75 million in gifts to support its mission. This work helped ensure CHM’s success during the pandemic, when it was forced to close its doors.

Among Lewin’s key accomplishments is the development of a new global digital strategy. With generous support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the “OpenCHM” platform will make the Museum’s collection, exhibits, and programs widely accessible worldwide. In recent years, the Museum has also launched games on the Minecraft: Education Edition and Roblox platforms, collaborated with Audible to create the podcast Recoding History, and dramatically expanded its reach on social media to tens of millions of people, all with the goal of meeting audiences where they are with stories and insights from CHM’s collection.

Guided by the Museum’s new Strategy to 2030, CHM remains focused in the coming year on the launch of an exhibit on the history and impact of chatbots, regular pop-up exhibits, in-person events, and in-depth digital storytelling that supports its mission and the impact it wants to make in the world.

“A key reason I came to CHM was to build a foundation for the future, and now that we have launched our Strategy to 2030, I feel the time is right to pass the baton,” Lewin said. “It has been my pleasure to serve as CHM’s CEO during this time of change, and I’ll be honored to support the next CEO in whatever way I can.”

CHM’s board has chosen a firm with whom to partner and has begun the search for Lewin’s successor.

About the Computer History Museum
CHM is the leading museum decoding computing’s ongoing impact on our world. We are uniquely positioned to cull the key lessons of the past and—through our research, exhibits, events, and incomparable collection of computing artifacts—create informed digital citizens empowered to make the choices that will shape a better future.

Press contact: Carina Sweet, csweet@computerhistory.org, 650.810.1059 

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• Atari Team: Allan Alcorn, Nolan Bushnell, and Steven Mayer: For their pioneering role in the development of the video game and personal computing industries. 
• Elizabeth “Jake” Feinler: For inspiring and creative leadership of the Network Information Centers that helped shape today’s internet.  
• Jensen Huang: For visionary leadership in the advancement of devices and systems for computer graphics, accelerated computing and artificial intelligence.  

The CHM Fellow Awards honor distinguished technology pioneers—unsung heroes and legends—for their outstanding merit and significant contributions to the advancement of computing and the evolution of the digital age. This year’s Fellow Awards gala will take place on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at CHM. 

This prestigious program is supported by collecting, education, research, and media efforts that reflect the seminal work of each Fellow honoree and preserve their stories for future generations. Fellows are selected annually through a public nomination process and honored at an exclusive gala ceremony. Selections are made by a panel of historians, researchers, industry leaders, CHM staff, and past Fellows. 

“Inducting new Fellows is one of the highlights of our year at CHM,” said President and CEO Dan’l Lewin. “We’re honored to recognize these brilliant, creative individuals and excited to share stories about how their innovations have affected the digital world we live in today.” 

Over its three-decade history, the Fellow Awards have demonstrated the diverse ways people have contributed to computing. Previous winners include Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, NASA mathematician and “hidden figure” Katherine Johnson, creator of Java James Gosling, software pioneer Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, semiconductor pioneer Gordon Moore, and World Wide Web creator Tim Berners Lee. 

For more information about the 2024 Fellow Awards and the history of the program, please visit the Museum’s website. 

About CHM 
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is dedicated to decoding technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. Located in Silicon Valley, the Museum curates the world’s foremost collection of artifacts and oral histories, documenting the people, companies, and technological innovations that have shaped the world. Supported by staff, partners, volunteers, pioneers, and visionaries from around the world, CHM offers dynamic experiences spanning research, exhibits, events, and an unparalleled collection. The Museum strives to engage and inspire audiences, empowering them to become informed digital citizens and make choices for a better future. 

Press contact: Carina Sweet, csweet@computerhistory.org, 650.810.1059 

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