The History of EO

It's been more than 25 years since a group of forward-thinking entrepreneurs created a network of likeminded peers to help each other learn and grow. Follow the evolution of EO below - from its beginnings as YEO and WEO - and discover how we grew into the world's most influential community of entrepreneurs.

Highlights

1980s – Early Beginnings

1987-1988

• Verne Harnish and 22 former members of the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs create "their own path" for continued personal and business growth; this organization eventually becomes the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization (YEO®)
• YEO® holds its first official event in Nassau, Bahamas, with 57 members in attendance

1988-1989

• YEO® opens its first office in Washington, D.C., USA, to manage operations
• Andrew Sherman of Jones Day becomes YEO®'s legal counsel; incorporation papers are filed in the spring of 1988

1989-1990

• YEO® is officially incorporated in November 1989
• Birthing of Giants (now known as the Entrepreneurial Masters Program) is created as a continuing education opportunity focused on practical business management

1990s – Global Growth

1990-1993

• YEO® expands its reach with eight total chapters, along with joint programs with the USSR and China
• Continued chapter expansion, especially in Canada, presents the need for a governing body for the organization; a Global Board of Directors is formed
• Membership begins to expand exponentially as the "no borders" policy is developed to establish one truly international organization
• The first international Forum training takes place, becoming the largest such session to date

1993-1996

• YEO® teams up with Ernst & Young for the first "Entrepreneur of the Year" award
• Several new chapters are launched outside of North America, primarily in Asia and Europe
• YEO® receives its first grant from the Kauffman Foundation to help foster entrepreneurship worldwide
• IBM becomes the first official corporate sponsor of YEO®

1996-2000

• YEO® celebrates its 10th anniversary, while hitting the 1,000-member milestone
• The World Entrepreneurs' Organization (WEO®) is created as a graduate program for YEO® members
• YEO®'s membership increases by more than 35% to eclipse 2,775 total members
• European expansion continues with the launch of six new chapters, including EO London and EO Amsterdam
• The "Strategic Vision Statement" is created to drive the organization to be the "premiere, peer-to-peer global community, network and resource for entrepreneurs"

2000s – Becoming EO

2000-2004

• The Forum program begins to more closely resemble its current state, with Moderator-training programs and higher-level experience-sharing being offered
• Pilot Mentorship programs begin, reconfirming the YEO®/WEO® commitment to peer-to-peer learning
• EO is formally established as an umbrella organization to house YEO® and WEO® under one single brand

2004-2008

• WEO® chapters begin to solidify their identity with the EO brand
• The new brand is officially launched at the Global Leadership Conference (GLC), with EO eventually becoming the standard brand of the organization
• The EO Accelerator program begins, with support from Mercedes-Benz Financial
• EO introduces Octane, a quarterly magazine designed to educate and inspire its members through member-written stories
• EO begins to assume control of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) from St. Louis University

2008-Present

• EO's first Global Leadership Summit is held in Canada
• EO Injected launches, with its EO Insignia and EO Quantum Leap programs focused on providing additional resources to tenured and high-revenue members
• EO24 is held for the first time as a truly global learning initiative, with live-streaming events and knowledge-sharing from 60 chapters in 17 time zones
• The Global Entrepreneur Indicator is launched, creating a quarterly tracking mechanism for the economic outlook of entrepreneurs worldwide​