Christopher 'Chris' Stolte is an American computer scientist, entrepreneur, and the co-founder of Tableau Software, the pioneering visual analytics platform. His background is rooted in deep technical research: he holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science from Simon Fraser University and secured a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University.

His career began with intense academic research, specializing in the analysis and exploration of multidimensional data. This work, culminating in the Polaris system at Stanford, was the direct technological basis for Tableau's first products. Stolte's core philosophy is that data should be palpable to visual thinkers, recognizing the human need to see and understand data without needing to write code.

Christopher Stolte co-founded Tableau Software in 2003 with his advisor, Professor Pat Hanrahan, and business partner Christian Chabot. As the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and primary inventor, Stolte's greatest achievement was the creation of VizQL—a proprietary query language that translates drag-and-drop actions into data queries, eliminating the need for coding in business intelligence (BI).

Stolte previously co-founded BeeLine Systems (a map rendering company later purchased by Vicinity Corporation), providing an early financial and technical success. His work at Tableau transformed the BI industry, making data visualization accessible to the masses. The company's successful IPO in 2013 and its eventual acquisition by Salesforce in 2019 for over $15 billion secured Stolte's multi-billion dollar fortune, cementing his legacy as the engineering inventor who revolutionized how people interact with data.

Christopher Stolte's social impact is structural, stemming from Tableau's mission to help people to see and understand data. His invention, VizQL, has democratized data literacy, empowering millions of non-technical users in corporations, non-profits, and educational institutions globally, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making.

His personal philanthropy often supports scientific research and education, reflecting his background as a Ph.D. computer scientist from Stanford. His commitment to making complex data simple is a massive structural contribution to global digital literacy.

Christopher Stolte maintains the functional, intellectual style of an engineering pioneer. His attire is consistently professional and pragmatic, favoring comfortable, high-quality business wear that reflects his focus on research and product development. His aesthetic is one of quiet, technical authority.

His luxury is the immense security of his multi-billion dollar fortune, which affords him the autonomy to continue working on cutting-edge visualization systems and data analytics. His life is dedicated to the intellectual pursuit of simplifying complex information for mass use.