The Power of the Internet
Kevin co-founded Ciena Corporation, the world leader in optical networking.
The company, started by Gordon Gould, inventor of the Laser, and his protégé, Dr. David Huber, and Kevin Kimberlin, filed their corporate charter and issued founders’ shares for Ciena on November 12, 1993. This was just five months after the public release of the World Wide Web.
They commercialized the first dense Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) system — the optical amplifier system that drove the internet explosion. This made Ciena the fastest-growing company in its first year of operations in American business history.
Today, WDM is the common basis of virtually every metro, regional, national, intercontinental, and transoceanic communications network. WDM transports 99% of all Internet traffic. Delivering to 85% of the world’s largest telecom and web-scale service providers, Ciena lights up the Internet.
Social Impact
Kevin Kimberlin also supports social progress through charitable activities and gives to a variety of civil organizations.
Kevin gives to a variety of organizations including the Harvard University Innovation Lab, BeyondPolio, and the Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation (to support its efforts for the eradication of polio worldwide), the Audubon Society (for its citizen-science and conservation programs), and Yaddo, the creative artist community, where he is an Honorary Lifetime Member in recognition of his support of writers, choreographers, dancers, playwrights and composers.
Kevin graduated from Indiana University and earned his Masters from Harvard University. He lets his actions speak for themselves, embracing Mr. Spencer Trask’s motto: “Deeds, not words.”