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FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog

April 4, 2007

John Wood Brings Social Capitalism to Oprah

Yesterday John Wood was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Wood is the founder of Room to Read, an organization that has been a winner of our Social Capitalists Awards every year since Fast Company and the Monitor Group began the Awards in 2004.

John Wood told Oprah about a vacation to Nepal and encountering poverty so insidious, that there weren't even schools for children to learn in. Wood left his job as a marketing director at Microsoft and founded Room to Read. The organization has helped open hundreds of schools and thousands of libraries across Asia. Wood tells the story in more detail in his book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World.

Room to Read is currently working with Oprah on a donation drive where the public can help the nonprofit buy books to continue its mission. You can read more about the book drive and Room to Read here. The organization has been a remarkable success and shows what a social capitalist can achieve. I think any company can learn from its example.