Social Entrepreneur

1. John Wood: A Reading Journey
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2. Table of Contents
1.1 John Wood: An Introduction
1.2 Room to Read – the beginning
1.3 How has Room to Read impacted the
lives of people?
1.4 Credits and Acknowledgements
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3. 1.1 Introduction
 John Wood, Social Entrepreneur, Founder
of Room to Read
 Born in 1964, Hartford, Connecticut
 Educated in University of Colorado and
Kellogg Graduate School of Management
at Northwestern University, where he
graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree and a
MBA (Masters in Business Administration)
 Worked as an executive for Microsoft
between 1991 and 1999
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4. 1.4 Credits and
Acknowledgements
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1. http://www.roomtoread.org/
2. http://www.creatingroomtoread.com/meet-john-wood/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wood_(activist)
4. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/09/08/AR2006090801938_3.html
(Article on John Wood and Room to Read in The Washington Post)
5. http://www.asianscientist.com/2012/04/features/john-wood-founder-
room-to-read-zak-the-yak-2012/
6. http://www.riverstreet.net/blog/2012/Nov/27/our-room-to-read-in-
cambodia/

5. 1.2 Room to Read – the
beginning
 On a trekking holiday to Nepal in 1998, he was shocked to
find out that there were no books in the library of the school
he was invited to visit
 Impacted by the words of the School’s Headmaster that he
might someday return with the books, he decided to use his
energy and strength to appeal for book donations from his
contacts
 In 2000, he returned to Nepal to set up 10 School Libraries
and with this gesture, Room to Read began its mission 5

6. 1.3 How has Room to
Read impacted the lives of
people?
 For the past 14 years, Room to Read has impacted the lives
of 8.8 million people living in the developing world through the
following:
- Construction of Schools and Libraries
- Reading & Writing
- Girls’ Education
- Local Language Publication
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7. 1.3 How has Room to
Read impacted the lives of
people?
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Playtime in a Classroom in Vietnam,
where Room to Read has helped
provide Education Opportunities for
Girls in Rural Areas
A newly constructed library within
Rumchek Primary School, Chheu
Teal Srot Kraom Village, Cambodia