Founder and CEO John Wood is a former Microsoft executive who gave up cushy corporate life to change the world... literally! What began as an exotic vacation and a break from corporate life, Wood's 1998 trip to Nepal put him face-to-face with the most abject poverty he had ever seen. Trekking through cold Himalayan mountain passes that took him from one poor, remote village to another, Wood recalled the words of his one-time Kellogg professor, Gene Lavengood: "To whom much is given, much is expected." The lesson hit home as he stared into the faces of children who rushed up to him as he entered their communities; children so poor they were beyond asking for money. They just wanted a pencil.
In a country of contrasts - the majesty of the Himalayas, the mystery of the jungles, and the tragedy of a country where most people live on less than $1 a day, Nepal is home to some of the warmest people in the world and is rich with both Hindu and Buddhist culture. However, it is also a country where half of its people live in poverty and where over 55% of its population is illiterate.
Haunted by the magnitude of Nepal's poverty and lack of available education, Wood organized a book drive upon his return home. Just a year later, he returned to the Nepalese village that had inspired him, bringing thousands of books to this remote community. The children's enthusiasm and desire to learn was so overwhelming, Wood was moved to quit his job, founded Room to Read, and dedicate his life to this mission.
Under his guidance, Room to Read has developed five programs focused on expanding or building schools and libraries, providing girls with scholarships, teaching languages and publishing in local languages. The organization works closely with local communities to determine the greatest needs and meet them.
Libraries are the core of Room to Read's program. Each library has between 300 and 1,000 books in the local language and in English. Each $150 donation enables it to print 150 local language children books; $4,000 opens a reading room; and $14,000 can build an entire library. The Room to Grow scholarship program also enables the organization to educate a girl who would otherwise miss out on school for just $250 a year.