Leadership Announcement

A message from our co-founder

David Risher

Dear friends and supporters,

Last week I made one of the most momentous announcements of my life: After 14 years of leading Worldreader every day, I’m moving out of the role of CEO and into the role of President of our Board.

The decision was very emotional, but it wasn’t very hard.

We’ve got an amazing team which Rebecca Chandler Leege, our Chief Impact Officer since 2018, will lead as CEO (Interim). We’ve got an ultra-high-impact focus, getting children on the path to completing at least 25 books a year to help them reach their potential. And I’ll still be quite active, just from a different vantage point – I’ve already prepared the team to be surprised by how many emails a Board President can send.

That’s the first chapter of this news. Now here’s the plot twist. I’m not sailing off into the sunset. In fact, I’m taking a new job: as of April 17th, I’ll be assuming the role of CEO of Lyft, the awesome #2 (for now!) ride-share company.

Surprised? I was too! But when I look back at my career at Microsoft, Amazon, and Worldreader and reflect on all I’ve learned about customers, competing, doing more with less, and leading with purpose, I think I’m the right person for the job. Time will tell, but I can say that I’m honored and thrilled out of my mind.

As I transition out of my role as CEO, I’d ask three things of you:

– Please join me in supporting Rebecca in her new role. The easiest way is to make a gift to help get more children reading. Now’s the time when your gift will have the biggest impact on the mission and our team.

– Read with your children or grandchildren. It’s the best way to help them reach their potential.

– Go out to dinner and take a Lyft! (iOS version / Android version) Having dinner out is much more fun than staying in, and going by Lyft is a great way to reduce stress around driving and parking. I’ll do everything it takes to make it a great experience for you.

Thank you for all you’ve done over the years to get children reading. Your commitment has meant the world. Together we’ve made a huge difference helping children reach their potential.

Best,

David Risher

PS: Taking a page from my wife Jennifer’s book, I’d like to share something else: I’m directly donating 95% of my signing bonus to Worldreader to provide further strength to the organization and get more children reading. It made some lawyers’ heads explode, but they’re going to be fine!

“Having served as Worldreader US Board President for 3 years, I’ve had the privilege to see the organization strengthen its team, focus, and impact. I’m excited for David to be appointed as our new Board President and I look forward to working with David and the rest of the Board to get children reading.

During her time as Chief Impact Officer, Rebecca Chandler Leege made a strong impression on the board with her extraordinary leadership skills and vision. She has the board’s full support and trust as Worldreader’s new CEO (Interim) and we’re confident she’ll expand our impact.”

Chris Capossela
Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Consumer Business
Microsoft

We’re thrilled to announce the appointment of Rebecca Chandler Leege as our new Chief Executive Officer (Interim). We thank co-founder David Risher for his leadership in getting children reading and for his continued service to the organization as he takes on a new role as Worldreader US Board President.

We continue supporting readers around the world-min

We Get Children Reading around the world

Since 2010, we have reached more than 21 million children in over 100 countries. We’re laser-focused on supporting millions more.

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We’re in the midst of a global learning crisis – today, 64% of children globally can’t read and understand a simple story. Worldreader gets children reading so they can reach their potential. We’re thankful to our Reading Champions who support children every day.

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