Heidi Roizen ${?}^i$

Heidi Roizen had a reputation for using her networks wisely to develop personally and professionally. She developed her network during her years as cofounder and chief executive officer $($CEO$)$ of T$/$Maker$,$ as a vice president at Apple Computer, and as an independent "mentor capitalist," a term and role that she created. ii Through these positions, Roizen developed a network that included many of the most powerful business leaders in the technology sector.

As vice president of worldwide developer relations at Apple, Roizen's job had been to improve relationships with the company's $12,000$ external software developers in order to ensure the long$-$term viability of the Apple platform. This required Roizen to call in favors to industry contacts with whom she had worked in the past to convince them to stay with Apple. Because these relationships were mutually beneficial, Roizen's requests for favors were usually granted. She also mastered the ability to blend her professional and social networks by hosting dinner parties at her house with prominent individuals such as Bill Gates of Microsoft and Scott McNeally of Sun Microsystems.

Later, as a "mentor capitalist," Roizen served as an active board member for start$-$up companies. Through this role, she helped people she liked and respected find new opportunities for career growth. As a result, Roizen was able to generate a list of contacts that might serve her well in the future. One of Roizen's colleagues remarked: "While lots of people are in networks and network fervently, there are very few people who become the nucleus of a network. Heidi is one of those people. As the nucleus of her own network, Heidi will forge a deep relationship with the nuclei of other networks within her vast constellation, which allows her to keep in touch with all the people in those other networks. I can only imagine how many networks Heidi touches."iii