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Key people at Room to Read.
Room to Read is a global nonprofit transforming children's education through literacy programs and gender equality initiatives. It develops local language children's books, establishes libraries, and improves reading instruction. The organization provides life skills education and mentorship for adolescent girls, blending effective learning with fostering a love for reading.
Founded in 2000 by John Wood, with co-founders Erin Ganju and Dinesh Shrestha. Wood, a former Microsoft executive, left his career at 35 after witnessing a severe lack of educational resources in Nepal. This insight into the global need for quality education led him to establish the nonprofit.
Room to Read's programs benefit elementary school children and adolescent girls in low-income countries, and their educators. It delivers literacy and girls' education initiatives within school systems and community engagement. Its vision is a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, ensuring all children reach their full potential.
Room to Read is a global nonprofit organization founded in 2000, dedicated to transforming lives through education by combating illiteracy and gender inequality in underserved communities.[1][3] Its core programs include the Literacy Program, which builds reading skills and habits for primary school children via teacher training, local-language books, libraries, and curriculum, and the Girls’ Education Program, which supports adolescent girls to complete secondary school through life skills, mentorship, and community engagement.[1][2][4] Operating in 29 countries, Room to Read has reached over 52 million children with more than $1 billion in investments, emphasizing local partnerships, evidence-based approaches, and scalability to address learning poverty affecting 773 million people worldwide, two-thirds of whom are women and girls.[3][4]
Room to Read was founded in 2000 by John Wood, a former Microsoft executive, inspired by his travels in Nepal where he encountered children without access to books or schools.[1][3][4] Wood left his corporate career to establish the organization on the belief that "World Change Starts with Educated Children®," starting with book donations and library builds in Nepal and expanding rapidly to Vietnam and beyond.[1][5] Early traction came from grassroots efforts and partnerships with local communities, evolving into a scaled model with 1,600 mostly local staff across 22 entities, benefiting as many children in the last four years as in its first 20.[4] Pivotal moments include adapting programs during the pandemic with community reading spaces and setting ambitious 2027 goals to double annual reach in children, communities, and partners.[1][2]
While not a tech company, Room to Read leverages edtech innovations like remote learning solutions to sustain impact during disruptions, aligning with global trends in digital education equity amid the largest recorded learning losses from the pandemic.[1][2] It rides the wave of education as a tool for solving climate, inequality, and poverty challenges, targeting learning poverty that has risen by a third in low/middle-income countries.[2][3] Market forces favoring it include rising philanthropic focus on SDGs, corporate partnerships (e.g., board ties to Microsoft, YouTube, Goldman Sachs), and demand for scalable, localized interventions that strengthen systems in the Global South.[4][5] By influencing policy for child-friendly libraries and training thousands of educators, it shapes the edtech ecosystem toward inclusive, foundational skills over flashy tools.[1][4]
Room to Read's momentum positions it to hit 2027 doubling targets through expanded partnerships and tech-enabled delivery, potentially reaching 100M+ children amid persistent global learning crises.[2][4] Trends like AI-driven personalization and climate-resilient education will amplify its model, evolving its influence from direct aid to systemic advocacy with governments and philanthropists.[1][2] As edtech matures, expect deeper integration of digital tools while preserving its human-centered, local strength—proving nonprofits can scale like startups to make education the ultimate equalizer, echoing its founding vision of world change through empowered children.[3][4]
Key people at Room to Read.
