Growing up in London, Roya Elghanian was itching to get a passport so she could travel around the world. When she finally got one, she embarked on a six-month backpacking trip through South America and Southeast Asia.
As she learned about new cultures, she wanted to help those in need. But she struggled to find volunteer opportunities that wouldn’t cost her an arm and a leg.
“There were a lot of people walking in the same shoes as me that wanted to help but didn’t know how,” says Elghanian. “Most were on a shoestring budget and didn’t have the capacity to spend large amounts on volunteer opportunities.”
A decade ago, she started Worldwide Helpers, a nonprofit that links volunteers with low-cost or no-cost opportunities. After exchanging emails with hundreds of travelers, the organization’s database has launched 100 volunteer projects around the world.
Year founded: 2006
Employees: 3
Where we’re based: WeWork member based in New York
Moment of inspiration: “I was climbing a mountain in Laos, living in tree houses to prevent people from burning down the forest, when I came up with the concept,” Elghanian says. “I used to work in real estate, so looking at a real estate website is familiar in my head. And I thought, ‘What if I made a website that replaced info for property with info for volunteer projects?’”
Biggest hurdle: “The challenge has always been fundraising,” Elghanian says. “A website is not such an emotional cause. And if we ever have a fundraiser in New York, it would take a little bit of time for people to understand how powerful WWH is.”
How we want to change the world: “Without our website, people wouldn’t know where to help,” Elghanian says. “We want to become a household name in volunteering and enable people from all walks of life to help.”