Founder’s letter

In our time as NOLA educators over the last ten years, we witnessed too many of our alumni become saddled with debt instead of equipped with a degree. As stakeholders, we struggled to stay informed about the countless alternative opportunities in our own backyard.

The ecosystem was complicated and learners paid the price.

So we, and about 100 other New Orleanians ages 17 and up, researched the question: "How do we use technology to create connection and clarity where there is confusion and untapped opportunity?"

Using human-centered design thinking and behavior intervention design processes, WhereWeGo was launched in April of 2020 to connect learners with rewarding career education programs. Since then, our Training Navigator, Career Navigator, Dual Credit Navigator, Resources Navigator, and Jobs Navigator have reached over 2 million workers across the United States.

It turns out, the problem of confusing, actionable career training information was more pervasive than our own backyard.

Now, we're hooked on cracking the code behind complicated ecosystems of information (probably because we're environmental science teachers at heart).

We believe platforms with great design create access and optimism where there was once anxiety and missed opportunities. We believe equitable access to resources is critical for the strength of our community, our economy, and our future and we seek to build meaningful services that endure through change.

From ideation to adoption, invite our team to your problem and we'll promise to put our teacher-turned-techie and design thinking hats on.

Let's get started!

Leah Lykins & Ben Ifshin & Nina Horne, co-founders of WhereWeGo.