In 1987, Elise Gerich was a project systems manager at the Merit Network, where she was instrumental in expanding the T-1 and T-3 backbones of NSFNET, one of the first networking systems in the U.S. and a predecessor of the early internet. At Merit, Gerich was responsible for connecting a number of research and academic institutions throughout the United States.

Gerich ultimately helped facilitate the transition from NSFNET to commercial Internet Service Providers, and worked at Excite@Home Network, which was one of the first companies to introduce high-speed cable internet around the world. In 2016, she oversaw the internet’s change in ownership from the U.S. Government to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, an independent international cooperative.