Skip to content

Wes Boyd

Co-Founder, MoveOn.org

Born in 1960, Wes Boyd co-founded the public policy group and political action committee, MoveOn.org with his wife and business partner Joan Blades. Founded in September of 1998 as an online petition in response to the Clinton impeachment controversy, MoveOn.org currently counts more than 3 million members and utilizes email as its primary means of communication. MoveOn.org's technological savvy was aided by Boyd's computer background. In 1987, Boyd and Blades co-founded Berkeley Systems, a software company based in the San Francisco Bay area and best known for the "You Don't Know Jack" online trivia game and marketing the whimsical "Flying Toasters" screen savers. Boyd and Blades sold Berkeley Systems in 1997 for $13.8 million and turned their attention to progressive grass roots political action. Prior to Berkeley Systems, Boyd authored software for the blind and visually impaired and worked as a consultant and programmer for the University of California. The pair lives in Berkeley, California.

Re: Whom would you like to interview, and what would you ask?

Boyd talks about the world’s cosmopolitan elite.

▸

2 min

—

with

Re: If you had $100 billion to give away, how would you spend it?

Money is not resources we lack, says Boyd.

▸

1 min

—

with

Re: What is your counsel?

D.C. is very vulnerable to group think, says Boyd.

▸

2 min

—

with

Re: How will this age be remembered?

We tend to focus on the problems, Boyd says.

▸

1 min

—

with

Environmentalism

Boyd, on the ecology project.

▸

1 min

—

with

Re: What should be the big issues of the 2008 election?

Everything depends on the war.

▸

1 min

—

with

America’s Place in the World

Restoring America’s role as the world’s beacon is important.

▸

1 min

—

with

Re: What is the world's biggest challenge in the coming decade?

We need to address the issue of climate change, says Boyd.

▸

1 min

—

with

Re: What forces have shaped America?

Boyd talks about the country’s founding.

▸

1 min

—

with

Re: What do you believe?

Wes Boyd, on the value of humility.

▸

2 min

—

with

Re: What inspires you?

People stepping up.

▸

1 min

—

with

Re: How do you contribute?

Wes Boyd talks about helping the blind.

▸

1 min

—

with

Re: How is technology changing politics?

Politics are becoming very insular.

▸

1 min

—

with

Re: Is the American political system broken?

Yes, because not enough good people are involved.

▸

2 min

—

with

Re: What is MoveOn.org?

Giving a voice to people who get America.

▸

2 min

—

with

Re: Who are you?

Wes Boyd started programming at 14.

▸

1 min

—

with