John C. Stroebel was born and raised in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin and spent many summers baling hay on local farms in the hills around his small town. Since he could walk, he loved taking things apart to see how they worked and learning how to piece them back together. This passion eventually resulted in his graduating with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Minnesota. In 1987 he began designing implantable medical devices and has since amassed more than three dozen patents in the field. His contributions have directly impacted the lives of millions of people worldwide.