Steve Snyder – An Inspiring Speaker and Author

Steven Snyder brings international experience from his long career in high technology management. As founder and CEO of Net Perceptions – one of the premier recommender systems companies – he gained invaluable insight.

He teaches leadership at the University of Minnesota and conducts business ethics research. His central idea for sustainability reporting combines traditional business reporting with environmental and social performance metrics.

Early Life and Education

Snyder founded Live and Learn as a non-profit educational foundation in Sherman Oaks, California during the early 80s. By 1987 he had begun providing seminars to corporate executives and business leaders worldwide as well as giving numerous presentations worldwide.

Steve Snyder has an insatiable appetite for history research, particularly World War II. This passion led him to publish an outstanding book called Shot Down about B-17 Susan Ruth which was shot down over Belgium on February 8, 1944 and its crew, from training through life at Thurleigh to being shot down and eventually captured by German forces. The book details all aspects of their experience – training to life at Thurleigh before finally experiencing being shot down as it happens.

Steve Snyder based his book on meticulous research, including diaries from servicemen as well as accounts from people in Belgium who provided shelter or rescue for Steve Snyder’s crew during World War II. It makes for an incredibly emotional and captivating read.

Professional Career

Snyder utilizes training from Meisner technique and other Stanislavski-based approaches, Physical Theatre/Lecoq techniques and Shakespeare/First Folio approaches to guide actors toward deeply committed and personalized portrayals of specific characterizations in any style or dialect imaginable. Additionally, he boasts extensive dialect and accent experience.

As an attorney practicing throughout Central Pennsylvania, Snyder has successfully litigated medical malpractice and healthcare lawsuits on behalf of hospitals, doctors and nurses in state courts. His expertise spans all specialties of medicine such as obstetrics, orthopedics, cardiology and surgery.

Snyder has led several federal grant-funded projects that span from augmented reality software for interactive exhibitions (ARIEL, NSF), neuroscience curricula for K-12 students (Neuroscience in Your World NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience), and community-based urban astronomy programs such as City Skies: Linking Neighborhoods Through Urban Astronomy by NASA CPSMP. As an entrepreneur he supports early stage investments via his involvement with New York Angels/ Boston/ Philadelphia Clean Energy Venture Group as well as Haven Partners LLC.

Achievement and Honors

Steve Snyder is best-known for his award-winning book ‘Shot Down,’ detailing his father’s experience of World War II in a B-17 Susan Ruth bomber crew during World War II. It examines their experiences during and post-shoot down; those that died as well as those that managed to avoid capture.

At Colonial Forge, Snyder served as Director of Education and Interpretive Programs where he developed new experiences and products designed to increase attendance and revenue while upholding their educational mission. In addition, he served as one of its key public spokespersons.

Snyder has practiced daily meditation since 1976 and studied under various Western Zen teachers, studying “choiceless awareness” meditation and koan study.

Personal Life

Steve Snyder hails from Pennsylvania in the United States. An entrepreneur with years of experience across various businesses, Snyder founded Snyder Leadership Group – an organizational consulting firm dedicated to cultivating inspired leadership – as well as teaching courses on business ethics at the University of Minnesota.

As well as his work in education, Snyder has advised many corporations on leadership and business ethics matters. Additionally, he has published various books and written numerous articles.

Snyder serves on the Board of Directors at San Diego’s Fleet Science Center and was instrumental in overseeing its ambitious science exhibits such as ILLUSION which premiered at that facility in 2013. Additionally, he serves on multiple committees for Balboa Park Cultural Partnership as well as on Eastern State Penitentiary’s Program Advisory Board.

Net Worth

He and his wife run a foundation that aims to “enlist, train and equip an army of love.”

Snyder launched several ventures early on in his business career. According to The Washingtonian, Snyder provided college students with flights for spring break using jet leasing companies, and also published Campus USA magazine.

Snyder is one of the best-known figures in technology management, having served as Microsoft’s first general manager and founding Net Perceptions which became one of the leading recommender systems during the 1990s. Additionally, he is well known as an author having written many books on leadership and business ethics; originally hailing from Pennsylvania he now boasts an estimated net worth of about $4.9 billion making him one of the wealthiest NFL owners.