Our Founders and Directors

Arlene Harris and Martin Cooper are innovators whose bold ideas have literally connected the world. From pioneering the first portable cell phone technology and creating the first prepaid cellular system that fueled growth in developing countries to launching the first cellular phone and service for seniors, innovating technology solutions that benefit people is the foundation of what they do.

Their latest commercial undertaking, Wrethink, is the first internet service company dedicated entirely to serving families. Wrethink redefines technology by prioritizing people and treating their data respectfully. Harris established Wrethinking, the Foundation in 2017 to extend this service-focused philosophy further into the global community — supporting collaborations and transformative ideas that use the power of technology to improve lives.

Arlene Harris

Founder and President of the Board

Founder and visionary, Arlene Harris is a serial entrepreneur and founder of GreatCall where she innovated the well-known Jitterbug cellular service in collaboration with Samsung. She and Jitterbug received many honors including the New York Times' "10 Brilliant Ideas of 2006" and Readers Digest "Top 100 Products".

She has previously pioneered the first prepaid cellular phone service, the first cellular safety phone, and several communications activation, billing and customer service systems.

For her decades of technological leadership, she’s been called "The First Lady of Wireless", recognized as a Top 10 Wireless Innovator of All Time, inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2007, and in 2017, the Consumer Technology Hall of Fame.

Martin Cooper

Director, Secretary and Treasurer

Martin Cooper is known as the "Father of the Cell Phone”, leading the team that invented, produced and demonstrated the first cellular portable phone at Motorola in 1973. He is responsible for driving development of multi-billions of dollars of wireless global telecommunications value over the past half century.

He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Prince of Asturias Award, the Marconi Prize and the Charles Stark Draper Prize. He is also a Wireless and Consumer Technology Hall of Fame awardee and was named a Top 10 Wireless Innovator of All Time.

He is a respected speaker on technology and innovation, and contributes to public policy in the U.S. and globally. He founded several important companies, including smart antenna leader ArrayComm, and co-founded GreatCall and Cellular Business Systems with Arlene Harris.