For 30 years I worked for a company called Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). Over time, SAIC became the largest employee-owned research & development company in the world. Founded by J. Robert Beyster, SAIC grew from a couple of scientists in LaJolla, California to over an $8 billion company - all owned by the employees.
That was the context for my thinking about the WIN Foundation's ownership and governance. At SAIC, we attracted the best entrepreneurial scientists and engineers who had innovative ideas that could change the world. For example, SAIC was instrumental in transitioning the Internet from an NSF-funded experiment into a commercial, global enterprise. Our software was involved in 80% of every phone call around the world. We invented the technologies that we now rely on to protect our borders and airports from bombs, weapons, and illegal contraband - and so much more. All of this was enabled by a business model that encouraged innovation and focused on results. The employees were the stock holders, the officers, and a majority of the board of directors.
The value of applying this "employee-owned" model to a nonprofit is around governance and alignment of interests. The WIN Founders Council came to the conclusion that adopting a similar strategy would be both innovative and empowering - also fostering accountability and transparency. The WIN Foundation has a governance model that empowers our committees to develop and execute programs to help Wittenberg succeed and be innovative in the marketplace of higher education. The WIN Board of Directors are elected by our alumni members, and they are accountable to the membership for their performance. Furthermore, any member can take on leadership roles and/or run for a director position.
The WIN governance model seeks to amplify the voices of single members through a meritocracy which values those ideas by investing in pilot projects that have that aim of creating the "edge" that Wittenberg needs to be successful. YOU can join today.
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