Les Vadasz

A native of Hungary who was educated as an engineer at McGill University in Canada. He left Fairchild Semiconductor in 1968 to help found Intel Corp., now the world’s largest semiconductor chip maker.

He retired in 2003 as Intel’s executive vice president. A former board member of the company, he also was the founder and president of its investment unit, Intel Capital.

In 1997, he and his wife, Judy, founded the Vadasz Family Foundation. In the Sonoma Valley, the foundation has funded projects to blend science and English language development in elementary school classrooms, pre-school classes to teach English to Spanish-speaking students who live in poverty and an Intel-sponsored computer clubhouse at the Boys and Girls Club.