Retail Observer

January 2019

The Retail Observer is an industry leading magazine for INDEPENDENT RETAILERS in Major Appliances, Consumer Electronics and Home Furnishings

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RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2019 44 THE CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION INDUCTS 14 INDUSTRY LEADERS INTO THE 2018 CT HALL OF FAME AT I T S A N N U A L A W A R D S D I N N E R H E L D AT C A P I TA L E I N N E W Y O R K C I T Y, T H E C O N S U M E R T E C H N O L O G Y A S S O C I AT I O N ( C TA ) I N D U C T E D 1 4 V I S I O N A R I E S I N T O T H E C O N S U M E R T E C H N O L O G Y H A L L O F FA M E . C TA C R E AT E D T H E H A L L O F FA M E I N 2 0 0 0 T O H O N O R I N D U S T R Y P I O N E E R S A N D E N T R E P R E N E U R S . A t its annual awards dinner held at Capitale in New York City, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) inducted 14 visionaries into the Consumer Technology Hall of Fame. CTA created the Hall of Fame in 2000 to honor industry pioneers and entrepreneurs. This year's honorees included John Briesch, the Sony executive who led the launch of the compact disc (CD); Dr. John Cioffi, father of the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL); Robert Cole, founder of World Wide Stereo; Richard Doherty, an influential technology journalist and industry analyst; Peter Lesser, smart home pioneer and founder of X-10 USA; Mike Romagnolo, founder of DOW Stereo/Video; and Edgar Villchur, inventor of the acoustic suspension speaker. In addition, two teams were elected to the 2018 class: Kathy Gornik and Jim Thiel, the co-founders of Thiel Audio; and Janus Friis, Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, Jaan Tallinn and Niklas Zennström, co-founders of Skype, the person-to-person video phone platform. Gary Shapiro, CTA president and CEO, praised the inductees for their contributions that helped grow the U.S. economy. Shapiro said, "Tonight we honor the leaders that inspire us and motivate us to think outside the box. The entrepreneurs in the CT Hall of Fame are an extraordinary group. They inspire us to be better and encourage us to reach for the stars." John Briesch, the first inductee to accept the award, advised the attendees: "If you have a passion, a new technology or a dream, seek out partners and instill in them your passion. Build networks within your area of expertise to create a working team of people who believe." Next, Dr. Cioffi thanked Stanford University for its support during the development of DSL high-speed data technology. "With my Stanford affiliation, it has always been about my students over the years. They propped me up and have been involved in everything I've done." Robert Cole, founder of Worldwide Stereo said, "Nobody gets here alone," and recognized the inspiration he received from his family, from his mother who shared her love of music, to his brother who taught him the inner workings of speakers, to his wife of 45 years who stood by him. Cole concluded, "It's hard to fail when you have that kind of support." Sabrina Doherty accepted the award on behalf of her late A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S

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