Early Life and Education
Phillip Terrence "Terry" Ragon was born in Arizona as the son of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, which resulted in his family moving frequently during his childhood. He graduated from high school in Bogota, Colombia. Ragon demonstrated a strong aptitude for science and technology early on. He completed his B.S. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1971.
Rise to Success
In 1978, Ragon founded InterSystems Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Under his leadership as CEO and owner, InterSystems grew into a global leader in data management solutions. Ragon's vision and strategic leadership were instrumental in the company's success, which provides database, interoperability, and healthcare application solutions for industries like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
Key Business Strategies
Ragon's approach to building InterSystems has been focused on innovation and providing robust data management solutions. InterSystems has expanded globally, establishing over 35 offices worldwide and serving clients in more than 80 countries. His leadership has been key to the company's growth and market dominance in the health IT sector.
Philanthropy
Ragon and his wife, Susan, established the Phillip and Susan Ragon Foundation, supporting initiatives in health, education, community development, and religious institutions. He signed The Giving Pledge in March 2017, committing to donate at least half of his wealth to philanthropic causes. He and his wife also co-created the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT, and Harvard, which focuses on developing vaccines and cures for infectious diseases, particularly HIV.