William Early: Education for the Global Economy

BY TODD BOOKMAN
December 1, 2007

William Early is a rare breed of social entrepreneur: a businessman and philanthropist whose contributions range well beyond donations.

Jeld-Wen, where Early has worked for more than 30 years, has grown to be the biggest private company in the state of Oregon. The company’s annual sales are over $2.6 billion and they boast a staff of 21,000 employees worldwide.

Early knows that fair business practices can be a substantial asset in the fight against poverty. Directing the firm’s international operations, he has traveled extensively to the twenty countries in which Jeld-Wen operates. He has seen first hand both the needs of emerging markets and how a strong local economy can help lift communities from poverty.

Early’s global experiences and life-long dedication to philanthropic causes have helped shape the creation of Global Envision, a website dedicated to educating youth on social issues, particularly related to globalization and economic development. Part of Mercy Corps’ broader Global Engagement campaign, the site provides dynamic content on globalization and helps inform the next generation of leaders about their world.

Early recently took time out of his busy schedule to discuss his philosophy and long-term partnership with Mercy Corps.

Could you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to be so active in humanitarian causes?

I went to college at Stanford on a Navy scholarship after completing high school. When I finished up there, the agreement was that I had to do a three-year tour of duty. I knew that when my tour was complete, I would go to law school and was set on entering the Foreign Service.

During a summer tour — I think it was 1955 — our ship landed in Valparaiso, Chile. I played on the basketball team for the ship and we were headed into Santiago to play a pick-up game. It was on the bus trip between Valparaiso and Santiago that everything changed for me.

I remember seeing incredible poverty along that one-lane road, something I had never witnessed before. There were very poor communities built into hillsides with shelters made of tin and scraps of wood. That vision had a real impact on me; it is something I haven’t forgotten.

Instead of becoming a lawyer, you went to work with Jeld-Wen, a company committed to partnering with local communities around the globe. Have you seen results from these practices?

In the late 1980s, after the Iron Curtain came down, Jeld-Wen started operations in Latvia. We were the first American company in the country and are still there. Jeld-Wen hired local men and women to work in the factory, providing job opportunities that didn’t exist there at the time.

We did the same thing in Poland after being profitable in Latvia, opening up a factory with some local entrepreneurs. These local businessmen basically ran the operations of the company and had tremendous results. After a few years in operation, we actually had to build a parking lot for the employees because all of a sudden they were able to own cars. When we first opened, they were all riding bicycles to work!

In all the countries where we have opened up operations, I have seen jobs created. We didn’t look abroad to do social good, but rather as an investment. Yet, the results have benefited both the workers and their community, which is a terrific outcome.

What values motivate you to be so active in this field?

It again comes back to what I saw in Chile. It really affected me. I remember thinking to myself, “People shouldn’t have to live like that.” So through my church activities and through philanthropy, I’ve tried to do what things I’ve been capable of doing to help.

How did you first become aware of Mercy Corps and their work?

My wife and I were personal friends of Ells Culver, one of the co-founders of Mercy Corps, through the Episcopal Trinity Church in Portland. We were both involved in the Outreach Committee of the church and I learned from Ells about some of the micro-finance programs Mercy Corps was doing around the globe. The church helped fund one of these programs in Honduras, as well as provide scholarship moneys for students there. I went to visit that program in the mid-1990s with Ells and was so impressed with how the organization was able to so much with limited resources.

What prompted your idea for Global Envision, a website dedicated to providing models of how free markets can be a positive force in creating a more fair, just, and stable future?

I had always believed in market-based solutions, especially after seeing what Jeld-Wen had accomplished overseas. But during the riots in Seattle in 1999 surrounding the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference, I saw youth fighting against globalization. A lot of people thought American companies were taking advantage of international workers, but I wanted to tell the positive side of the story. It was that misunderstanding of markets and how they can lift people out of poverty that prompted the idea.

Initially, I was going to write a book, but soon realized that a lot of good books already were written! Instead, I thought that a website would be a better way to educate and reach youth on this topic.

Why did you choose Mercy Corps specifically to support this project?

I already had so much respect for Mercy Corps and knew that they were using pro-market tools to lift people out of poverty. The organization understood that globalization could be a powerful tool to help build local economies.

It was a wonderful marriage because it gave my work a lot more validity than if I had done it with another group or on my own.

Why do you think Mercy Corps and its Global Engagement initiative have chosen to focus on educating youth as a demographic about global issues?

I think it is because there is just so much contradictory information out there that youth don’t always get to hear all sides of the story. A lot of kids grow up thinking that business is bad. That trade and globalization are bad. We need to give them better information so that they can make better decisions. Mercy Corps is really at the forefront in this push towards educating Americans about the realities of life around the globe, and what they can do to make a difference.

What tools will youth need moving ahead to a more connected world?

An educated generation, knowledgeable about economic and social issues and how they relate is a real necessity. I hope the Global Envision website helps supports that education.

Where do you hope to see Global Envision head in the future?

We need to continue being successful in reaching a broad audience of people. We want to continue growing and strengthening our programs so that we can have a powerful impact on our users. From there, we hope that youth will take positive action in their world.

Next in this series: John Haines: Filling a Niche

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