August 2022 Alum of the Month: Shelby Bonnie ’82 ’82

SHELBY BONNIE ’82 combined his fascination with computers and his business propensity to become an early pioneer in the Internet space, co-founding with Halsey Minor the computer content site CNET.com. The company also launched many other properties before being sold to CBS in 2007.

Bonnie demonstrated his aptitude for computers early on at Hotchkiss. “I created a program to ‘appropriate’ passwords to access the administrator’s area and was caught.” says Bonnie. “Later, as a member of the Discipline Committee, I sat in judgment of two students who did the same thing.”

Bonnie’s father, Ned, was Class of 1948, and his grandfather, Class of 1911. “My dad was so happy when I was accepted, but I struggled at first. I was an awkward kid from Kentucky. My parents said I could leave, but I decided to stay. Thanks to friends and faculty members (especially Ellen Torrey), I got to a happier place.”

Coming from a family of equestrians, Bonnie also credits being able to ride at Hotchkiss as key to his sanity. “I found meaning in living in Van Santvoord dorm. My dad was invited to ride George Van Santvoord’s horse, and their relationship was a big part of his wonderful experience at Hotchkiss.” Ned Bonnie went on to have a prominent career in equine law.

After graduating from the University of Virginia (B.S.), Bonnie received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He began his career in finance in New York, covering media. “CNET combined media and computers. We created a 24-hour cable channel about computers and digital technology with a companion online service. It was 1992, and Prodigy, CompuServe, and AOL were the common online services.”

CNET was a pioneer in online content, and Bonnie led the effort to innovate in the advertising space. Serving as CNET’s chairman and CEO from 2000 to 2006, he concurrently became chairman of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and was named Publisher of the Year in 2006.

After CNET, he stayed involved in start-ups, establishing Whiskey Media in 2008 (the name is a reference to a Kentucky distillery owned by his family before prohibition), which he ran and ultimately sold.

His latest endeavor is a video tool called Worbler AI. “Creators of social media have access to large audiences. They have many tools, but not great tools for sounds and voices. We have built a huge library of voices, sound filters and effects that you can add to any video. You can even add a custom voice for your dog.”

Bonnie has given more than 20 years to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), serving as board finance chair. A leading environmental organization, EDF began on

Long Island in 1967 when scientists fought to save ospreys from the toxic pesticide DDT. They now focus on solutions for the global environment’s biggest issues, including market-based solutions.

“An example is the MethaneSAT, a satellite launched fall of 2022 to detect methane leaks from space. From a climate standpoint, one of the easiest short-term tools to manage temperatures is to decrease the amount of methane being emitted into the atmosphere. It’s a potent greenhouse gas and much of the emissions come from the oil and gas industry. By providing detection of leaks for free, energy producers can rely on their own economic self-interest to plug those leaks so they can monetize the gas. The organization takes a promarket, entrepreneurial approach to environmental problems.”

Though his father is deceased, his mother still lives on the farm in Kentucky where he grew up. “Hugely influential in my life, my parents had deep confidence in me, giving me the space to make choices, and at times, to flounder. They encouraged me to find my own way, making me resilient and confident in my own abilities.”

“Hotchkiss provided an important foundation, and my initial unhappiness and subsequent choice to stay taught me a lot. I struggled with foreign languages, and fondly remember Mrs. Becker’s comment on my final report card: ‘It would be in Shelby’s and Hotchkiss’s best interest that this be his last year of French.’ I have followed her advice.”

Bonnie and his wife, Carol, have three children. “My kids have outperformed me both in academics and in athletics.” H