Tim Gill
Encyclopedia
Tim Gill is an American computer software
entrepreneur and LGBT rights activist.
, Indiana
. He attended Wheat Ridge High School
in Jefferson County
, Colorado
, eventually studying computer science
at University of Colorado at Boulder
.
and a consulting services firm, Gill started his company, Quark, Inc.
, in 1981 with a $2,000 loan from his parents. Quark produced successful page layout
software for the graphics market. Later, the company expanded into data storage devices, which brought Quark to the brink of bankruptcy and forced Gill to lay off half of his workforce. With the introduction of Farhad (Fred) Ebrahimi as CEO in 1986 and the monumental success of QuarkXPress
"first introduced in 1987", Gill became a multi-millionaire. Gill announced in 2000 that he had sold his 50% interest in Quark, Inc., citing his growing involvement in his philanthropic and activist endeavors.
, designed to prevent laws banning discrimination against gays, in 1992 prompted Gill to become involved in LGBT
political action and he is now a leading funder in that movement. Based in Denver
and Colorado Springs
, his foundation is the Gill Foundation
, formed in 1994, and one of its projects, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado
. His political endeavors, which are separate from his charitable foundation, are directed through the Gill Action Fund
.
In 2003, Gill created Connexion.org as a vehicle for engaging the LGBT community in political activities. On 25 August 2011, it was announced, "after 8 years of operation we have decided to close Connexion on Wednesday September 14."
Gill and Scott Miller, whom he married in Massachusetts
, live in Denver, Colorado
.
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
entrepreneur and LGBT rights activist.
Background
Gill was born in HobartHobart, Indiana
Hobart is home to many thriving businesses in its downtown shopping district, including the historic Art Theatre.Hobart is also home to the Westfield Southlake Shopping Mall and many surrounding retailers and restaurants, although most businesses are required to list their addresses as Merrillville...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. He attended Wheat Ridge High School
Wheat Ridge High School
Wheat Ridge High School is a public secondary school operated by the Jefferson County School District R-1 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, United States.-History:From the :...
in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, eventually studying computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
.
Quark
After jobs at Hewlett-PackardHewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
and a consulting services firm, Gill started his company, Quark, Inc.
Quark, Inc.
Quark, Inc. is a privately owned software company best known for QuarkXPress. It is called Quark because the company's goal is to "create software that would be the platform for publishing", just as quarks are the basis for all matter.As of August 2011, Quark's offerings include:* QuarkXPress -...
, in 1981 with a $2,000 loan from his parents. Quark produced successful page layout
Page layout
Page layout is the part of graphic design that deals in the arrangement and style treatment of elements on a page.- History and development :...
software for the graphics market. Later, the company expanded into data storage devices, which brought Quark to the brink of bankruptcy and forced Gill to lay off half of his workforce. With the introduction of Farhad (Fred) Ebrahimi as CEO in 1986 and the monumental success of QuarkXPress
QuarkXPress
QuarkXPress is a computer application for creating and editing complex page layouts in a WYSIWYG environment. It runs on Mac OS X and Windows. It was first released by Quark, Inc...
"first introduced in 1987", Gill became a multi-millionaire. Gill announced in 2000 that he had sold his 50% interest in Quark, Inc., citing his growing involvement in his philanthropic and activist endeavors.
After Quark sale
The passage of Colorado Amendment 2Romer v. Evans
Romer v. Evans, 517 U.S. 620 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court case dealing with civil rights and state laws. It was the first Supreme Court case to deal with LGBT rights since Bowers v...
, designed to prevent laws banning discrimination against gays, in 1992 prompted Gill to become involved in LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
political action and he is now a leading funder in that movement. Based in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, his foundation is the Gill Foundation
Gill Foundation
The Gill Foundation is one of the largest private funders of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equal rights work in the United States...
, formed in 1994, and one of its projects, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado
Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado
The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, a program of the Gill Foundation, provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Colorado through four program areas:...
. His political endeavors, which are separate from his charitable foundation, are directed through the Gill Action Fund
Gill Action Fund
The Gill Action Fund is an American 501 issue advocacy organization founded in 2005 by philanthropist and entrepreneur Tim Gill to provide resources to individuals and organizations on both sides of the aisle working to advance equality for LGBT people through the legislative, political, and...
.
In 2003, Gill created Connexion.org as a vehicle for engaging the LGBT community in political activities. On 25 August 2011, it was announced, "after 8 years of operation we have decided to close Connexion on Wednesday September 14."
Gill and Scott Miller, whom he married in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, live in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.