| Written by Faith Mwende |
Marian Rogers Croak, an American engineer and inventor, is one of the key pioneers behind the technologies that enable modern voice and video communication across the internet.
Throughout her career, Croak has secured over 200 patents, many of which center on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the technology that makes it possible to transmit voice data digitally over the internet, rather than via traditional phone lines.
In 2022, Croak was rightfully inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, a recognition of her far-reaching contributions to communication technology.
Croak worked for decades at Bell Labs and AT&T, where she helped advance systems that underpin modern video conferencing and internet calling. She later joined Google (from 2014 onward) as a Vice President of Engineering, where she has been involved in efforts that expand global internet access and address ethical AI and equitable technology design.
Though many social media posts credit her with “inventing the tech powering Zoom, FaceTime & WhatsApp,” that phrasing simplifies a complex reality. Her inventions in VoIP laid crucial foundations for how voice and video traffic is handled online, building blocks that many modern services (including Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, and others) build upon as part of broader systems.
Croak continues to serve not only as an engineering leader, but also as a role model for women and underserved communities in tech. Her story underscores how deep technical innovation often happens behind the scenes, but its impact reshapes how billions communicate every day.
Source: Wikipedia, National Inventors Hall of Fame
