John Battelle is an entrepreneur, journalist, investor, and author who has made significant contributions to the media, tech, conference, and other industries. He is best known for his endeavors such as founding Wired Magazine and its spinoffs, including HotWired, which was the first commercial website to run banner ads. Another notable achievement is The Industry Standard, a groundbreaking integrated weekly magazine, research, online, and conference business that set records for advertising pages sold in a single year.

Additionally, Battelle co-founded the Web 2 Conferences in 2003, which is considered the grandfather of all Internet conferences. Battelle has also authored the book The Search, chronicling not only the history of Google but also the forces that made Google's success possible. As an investor, he focuses on media and tech companies that align with his vision of pushing data, intelligence, and control to the edge of the Internet.

Battelle's contributions extend beyond his businesses, serving as Chair of sovrn Holdings and Director of LiveRamp, among other board seats. He is also involved in consulting and teaching engagements, sharing his expertise at esteemed institutions such as UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and Columbia's School for International Public Affairs