Here’s What Happened at WIBO!
Long before “Take Your Child to Work Day” became a tradition, six-year-old Ted Geier was already on the job, helping at the registration table during the launch of the Workshop in Business Opportunities (WIBO) in 1966, an entrepreneurship education program conceived by his father, Walter Geier, that addresses inequities in opportunity in under-resourced communities.
Mal Woolfolk founded WIBO with Walter and took his son to work as well – and Mal Woolfolk, Jr. became a serial entrepreneur as well – creating multiple successful enterprises.
Now in its 60th year, WIBO is celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and its impact on families and communities over the last six decades. With 16,000+ graduates of the program, WIBO has changed countless lives through entrepreneurship education thereby reflecting the intent of “Take Your Child to Work Day”, exploring career opportunities and education.
WIBO creates economic sustainability for families, providing entrepreneurship workshops that help current and aspiring entrepreneurs grow thriving businesses. WIBO enables those businesspeople to empower their children through education, entrepreneurship, and career exploration.
While Ted was the first person within WIBO to participate in “Take Your Kids to Work Day, he certainly wasn’t the last. His daughter M.J. came to work with him and now, after graduating WIBO, runs her own business, tickingclock.com, with her partner, fellow WIBO alum Cohlie Brocato – and gives back to WIBO (they produced the “hero video” on the WIBO webpage).
The late Stephen Jackson, former WIBO Executive Director and serial social entrepreneur, instilled the spirit of “Take Your Kids to Work Day” in his four daughters. All of them graduated from WIBO, and each make extraordinary contributions to the world every day – both those daughters and WIBO are central to Stephen’s legacy..
On this day, the children of WIBO graduates see not just a job, but proof that risk, grit and persistence can build something from nothing, the true ideals of entrepreneurship and the vision that Ted developed by working with his dad since 1966.
CTA: Are you a WIBO alumnus? We’d love to hear how your story has impacted your children. Please share here.