You don't need to be born in Silicon Valley to make it as a tech entrepreneur.
As this list proves, founders come from every corner of the U.S., and each state has someone who has changed the tech landscape.
Here's a list of the biggest founders from each state plus Washington D.C.
And if you think we've overlooked someone big in your state, leave a note in the comments or tweet at @sai.
SEE ALSO: THE SILICON VALLEY 100: The most amazing and inspiring people in tech right now
Alabama: Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia and Wikia, credits his upbringing in Huntsville, Alabama for his passion for education. Despite running the fifth most popular website in the world, his net worth is estimated to be slightly over $1 million.
Alaska: Larry Sanger, the other co-founder of Wikipedia and founder of Infobitt, moved to Anchorage when he was seven.
Arizona: Phoenician Joan Ganz Cooney changed television forever when she helped found the Children's Television Network, the creators of Sesame Street. Her career didn't stop in showtime, though. She founded the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, which specializes in increasing literacy through digital technology. The eponymous center has hosted things like the National STEM Video Game Challenge and launched a news site dedicated to reporting on educational gaming.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider