Ward Cunningham is an American computer programmer best known for creating the first wiki, called WikiWikiWeb, in 1995. This innovative platform allowed users to collaboratively edit and share information easily, revolutionizing how people interact online. Cunningham is also recognized for his contributions to Agile software development and the concept of refactoring, which emphasizes improving existing code without changing its external behavior. His work has significantly influenced the software development community, promoting collaboration and continuous improvement in coding practices.