Meet Robin Wise | President & CEO, Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robin Wise and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robin, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I strongly believe that anything is possible. This is a belief that I have tried to instill in my two sons who are now grown and building their lives. At Junior Achievement, we call this Boundless Possibility and every year we help teach thousands of kids this very valuable lesson. For example, the mother of one of our JA students came up to me and surprised me with a rather big hug. She pointed out her son in the crowd of kids with pride and told me how much her son had grown from his experience with JA. She told me that she doesn’t have much time to give outside of her hourly paying job but said she would ask for time off work anytime we needed help. Another woman, who happened to be a principal at a local school, wrote a letter that shared that her son has never had success in school. They struggled throughout his 16 years to find the one thing that would excite him and feel that he is a worthy person who can contribute to the world. She wrote, “Eric came back from JA so enthusiastic and energized. It has given him confidence, direction, and goals in life that he previously hasn’t found.” I could go on and on with these examples. These experiences have taught me that we must show our young people that their limits are imaginary. That the boundaries that they set in their own heads can be broken – that anything is possible.

What should our readers know about your business?
Junior Achievement (JA) inspires and prepares young people for success in a global economy through programs focusing on financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship. Students who participate in JA programs have higher levels of educational attainment, career satisfaction, financial capability, entrepreneurial activity, and household income. JA is unique in that thanks to dedicated supporters and volunteers, our programs are offered to schools at no cost.

I started at JA in 1992 after starting my career in the oil and gas industry, and it took a very entrepreneurial spirit to take on the challenge of CEO. The organization was in a very difficult place financially, so much so that we could barely afford the classroom materials to run JA lessons. Despite the challenges, I never considered that we couldn’t change things. I knew we would build something of significance. I practiced the entrepreneurial skills I learned from my dad, who owned a small trucking business. He taught me to create opportunities, go after dreams, and make them a reality. He is what I’ve always aspired to be: a life entrepreneur. With a lot of help from a dedicated staff, volunteers, and board, we persevered by taking advantage of the opportunities that the free market provides.

Since those early days, JA has exponentially expanded our programming and reach. In fact, we just opened a state-of-the-art experiential educational facility in the Denver Tech Center, the JA Free Enterprise Center. That didn’t come without challenges either, as we undertook a capital campaign to raise $20 million to complete construction, all during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was delayed as many other things were, but we never really thought about failing. We never lost sight of what we believed could be possible, and that’s what we teach at JA. Dream big, try stuff, and you can achieve what you set your mind to.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to our JA staff, volunteers, and supporters! Our work would not be possible without their unwavering belief in the boundless potential of young people!

Website: https://www.jarockymountain.org/

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