While living in Seattle in 1993, trying to start a new business, Tom learned about Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The city had two ISPs with vastly different service and performance levels. Tom moved back to Chicago finding no quality service providers.

Tom started InterAccess with a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve. The idea: focus on selling Internet access and Web hosting to small businesses, emphasizing a high level of customer service and technical support for a reasonable, flat rate.

To bolster its customer service image, InterAccess offered a free, user-friendly interface (created with free shareware from the Web), training on using the Internet, and a larger, highly trained customer support staff. In fact, over half of the employees at InterAccess were hired to answer customer inquiries.

InterAccess was responsible for a number of industry innovations, including being the first in the nation to launch commercial DSL service. This helped make InterAccess one of the most influential tech players in the Chicago market, according to Crain¡s Chicago Business. (More on Awards & Recognition)

When industry consolidation started taking place, Tom saw that InterAccess wouldn't be able to remain competitive as an independent and sold the company to Allegiance Telecom. At the time of the sale, InterAccess was generating $11 million a year in sales and had 94 employees.