Sandy Lerner

Sandy Lerner
Born	1955 United States
Education	California State University, Chico (BA) Claremont Graduate School (MA) Stanford University (MS)
Occupation	Entrepreneur, Technologist, Philanthropist
Known for	Co-founder of Cisco Systems, Founder of Urban Decay, Philanthropy
Awards	IEEE Computer Entrepreneur Award (2009), Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award (2014), Honorary OBE (2015)

Sandy Lerner (born 1955) is an American entrepreneur, technologist, and philanthropist. She co-founded Cisco Systems, which became a global leader in networking technology, before investing in sustainable farming, venture capital, and literary preservation. Her contributions span multiple fields, from advancing internet communications to promoting humane farming and championing women's literature.

Early Life and Education

Sandy Lerner was born in 1955 and grew up in Northern California. She pursued diverse academic interests, earning:

• A bachelor's degree in International Relations from California State University, Chico (1975).
• A master's degree in Econometrics from Claremont Graduate School (1977).
• A master's degree in Statistics and Computer Science from Stanford University (1981).

Founding of Cisco Systems

While working as the Director of Computer Facilities at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, Sandy Lerner co-founded Cisco Systems in 1984 with her then-husband, Len Bosack. Their team developed networking solutions that allowed computers across the university campus to communicate efficiently. Their innovation led to the development of Cisco IOS, which became the backbone of many of the world’s internet networks.

Lerner shared Cisco’s early struggles on the podcast *How I Built This*, describing how they built routers in their living room and relied on credit cards for funding. Despite using public-domain communication protocols from Stanford, their networking products gained widespread adoption.

In 1988, John Morgridge was brought in as CEO to scale the company. However, in 1990, Sandy Lerner was fired from Cisco Systems. In response, Bosack resigned, and together, they sold their shares for $170 million. Their marriage ended in the early 1990s.

Business Ventures Beyond Cisco

After Cisco, Sandy Lerner diversified her entrepreneurial efforts:

• Ayrshire Farm – In 1996, she purchased a 600-acre estate in Upperville, Virginia, transforming it into the first farm in Virginia to earn both Certified Humane and Certified Organic designations.
• Urban Decay Cosmetics – She co-founded Urban Decay, introducing alternative beauty products with the slogan “Does pink make you puke?”. The brand was acquired by LVMH in 2000 and later sold in 2002.
• Hunter’s Head Tavern & Gentle Harvest – She owns multiple sustainable food businesses in Virginia, promoting organic and humane farming.
• & Capital Partners – Lerner’s venture capital firm invested in innovative startups.

Philanthropy and Literary Contributions

In 1992, through the Bosack and Kruger Foundation, Sandy Lerner financed the restoration of Chawton House, a historic English estate once owned by Jane Austen’s brother. In 2003, it opened as the Centre for the Study of Early Women’s Writing (1600–1830). However, in 2016, she resigned from the board and withdrew funding.

As a writer, Sandy Lerner published:

• Second Impressions (2011) – A sequel to *Pride and Prejudice*, written under the pen name Ava Farmer.
• Caticons (2017) – A book featuring artistic representations of cats.
• She also wrote the foreword for *Founder vs Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital* (2023).

Recognition and Awards

Sandy Lerner has been recognized for her groundbreaking contributions across industries:

• IEEE Computer Society – Awarded the Computer Entrepreneur Award (2009) alongside Len Bosack for pioneering routing technology.
• Southampton University – Honored with an Honorary Degree (2005).
• California State University, Chico – Awarded a Doctor of Sciences degree (2012).
• PBS Documentary Feature – Appeared in *Nerds 2.0.1* (1998) and *Something Ventured* (2011).
• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day – Received the Pioneer Award (2014).
• UK Honorary Recognition – Awarded an Honorary OBE (2015) for her cultural contributions at Chawton House.

Legacy

Sandy Lerner remains a dynamic figure in technology, business, sustainability, and literature. Her impact spans multiple fields, from revolutionizing networking technology to advocating for humane farming and preserving literary history. Through her entrepreneurial ventures and philanthropy, she continues to shape industries and inspire future generations.