B ill Austin is the founder and chairman of Starkey Hearing Technologies, one of the largest hearing aid manufacturers in the United States. His journey is a classic American success story of building a business from the ground up with a clear mission. He started his career in the 1960s and bought a small hearing aid repair shop in 1970 for $13,000.

He transformed this small shop into a major manufacturing company by focusing on customer service and innovation. Starkey became famous for its custom-fit, in-the-ear hearing aids and its industry-leading turnaround times for repairs. Austin is also a dedicated philanthropist, having founded the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which has provided free hearing aids to hundreds of thousands of people in need around the world. He has personally fitted hearing aids on a host of celebrities and world leaders, from presidents to popes, raising the profile of his company and his cause. He remains the principal owner of the privately held company.