Ralph J. Yarro is an American business executive, entrepreneur and an activist. He co-founded Atua Ventures and was previously the CEO of the Canopy Group. Yarro has been associated with various technology companies, including Altiris, Caldera, Techcyte, Center 7, Lineo, Linux Networx, and Voonami.
In 2006, Yarro founded The CP80 Foundation, an organization focused on censoring internet pornography.
Background
Yarro relocated to Utah in 1982 and pursued a BA in Political Science at Brigham Young University. and served an LDS mission to Buenos Aires, Argentina. He later undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Utah, focusing on Computer Aided Design, User Interface (UI), Graphics, and Fine Art. He began his career in computer game design and subsequently joined Novell.
Career
The Canopy Group & SCO Group
His tenure with Novell allowed Yarro to collaborate with Ray Noorda across various Noorda family enterprises. By 2000, under Yarro's leadership, The Canopy Group's portfolio expanded to include over 50 companies such as Altiris, Caldera Systems, Lineo, Helius, Center 7, Maxstream, KeyLabs, MTI, MyFamily.com, Lineo, Linux Networx, and Vintela among others.
Companies founded
In 2005, Yarro established ThinkAtomic, Inc., aimed at supporting emerging technology ventures. He is the founder of many tech companies, including Techcyte and Voonami. Techcyte integrates technology, especially Artificial Intelligence, in digital diagnostics, while Voonami provides data center services for startups in Utah.
Board memberships
Yarro has invested in and secured roles ranging from, chairman, board member, to trustee in a variety of technology firms, both national and international, such as Altiris, Caldera, Lineo, Maxstream, MyFamily.com, Troll Tech, Copilot, Katoa Biotech, Xymbiot, Yarro studios, and others. By 2006, he is known to have made investments in more than 120 companies. The trio subsequently sued Canopy for US$100 million, alleging wrongful termination instigated by Val Noorda Kreidel, Ray Noorda's daughter.
Activism
Yarro's Law (S.B. 239)
In 2003, Yarro promoted the passage of a bill to align Utah's IP laws with those of California. Known as "The Unfair Competition Law", it was ratified in 2004 and was referenced in subsequent legal proceedings, notably SCO's lawsuit against IBM.
CP80
Starting in 2006, Yarro exerted efforts to combatting internet pornography. He established the non-profit organization CP80, which offers resources and information to help protect children on the internet. Yarro advocated for legislation to segregate mature content, assigning a separate port distinct from the default HTTP port 80. Yarro subsequently proposed that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) be responsible for content on open wireless access ports, ensuring children's safety online, imposing fines on violators and suggesting tax incentives for compliant ISPs. This proposal faced opposition from some local ISPs. Notably, he has supported Senator Orrin Hatch and Chris Cannon of Utah.