Ryan Hauf

Ryan Hauf was born with an innate curiosity to learn and understand the workings of technology and electronics. Home schooled in rural Ojai, California, by the age of ten Hauf officially became known as a household tinkerer after assembling a “top of the line 386 computer” from scratch. By 11, Hauf, alongside his cousin Skyler Ditchfield, built a BBS network to service 100 members of their local community. While the gig was less than lucrative to a couple of kids simply building a network for fun, it was evident that this 11-year-old was destined for a career in technology. Thus, throughout the next decade, he took it upon himself to obsessively self-teach and learn about the latest-and-greatest in modern tech and electronics through both the Internet, and plain old trial and error. This initially lead him down a path of various IT and AV jobs throughout his local community.

Then, one day, while on his Uncle’s ranch in Ojai, Hauf discovered that the neighboring properties were struggling to establish a DSL connection. He decided to make it a fun side project to solve their connectivity issues. Shortly thereafter, Hauf built the precursor to what is now referred to as GeoLinks’ ClearFiber™ network using entry-grade fixed wireless equipment, solar repeaters, and a wind machine. Successfully establishing connectivity, word-of-mouth spread quickly throughout the Ojai community, and Hauf found himself hiking up to various mountain tops to build out additional site repeaters. It wasn’t until his cousin approached him and asked him how much he was making with this new venture until he realized that he had essentially built and established a free Internet network for Ojai. The two partnered up, formed a business plan, and hit the ground running.

In only 7 short years, GeoLinks has now become the fastest growing WISP in the country, and the Fastest Growing Internet and Voice provider in America on the Inc. 5000. Despite the company’s accelerated success, Hauf still joins his team out in the field each and every day. He leads by example, and consistently strives to not only better GeoLinks’ network, but better the lives of every employee and customer he works with. Recently recognized in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2018 CTO of the Year awards, he is recognized by his team, industry, and community as a humble, self-taught, local technology enthusiast who was able to turn his passion into a sustainable revenue source that not only fueled his local economy, but has disrupted a billion-dollar industry.