Former California surfer-turned-science visionary, J. Craig Venter witnessed a remarkable achievement of humankind come to fruition under his leadership. As a founder of the Celera Genomics Group in May 1998, Venter guided the company as it embarked on its sole mission: to map the human genome within three years. And they did just that ... ahead of schedule. With Venter's understanding of commercial business combined with a passion for proliferating science research, the project moved faster than many anticipated.

Venter stepped down as CEO of Celera and left the company in January 2002. He is the founder and president of the J. Craig Venter Science Foundation and the J. Craig Venter Institute, which conducts basic research to further advance the science of genomics. He has published over 200 research articles in addition to receiving numerous honorary degrees and awards.