Entrepreneurs' Organization is a global non-profit organization, whose stated mission is to "Engage leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow." EO was formerly known as Young Entrepreneurs' Organization. The organization was founded in 1987.
History
In 1987, 22 young entrepreneurs created an organization whose goal was stated to be "to provide learning and networking opportunities for its members". The Young Entrepreneurs' Organization expanded throughout the United States and Canada. Within a few years, membership grew to include chapters in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In 1996, YEO helped create the World Entrepreneurs’ Organization, which served as an alumni organization for YEO members who, after the age of 40, wanted to continue their involvement in an entrepreneurial membership organization. In 2005, YEO and WEO merged to form the Entrepreneurs’ Organization as it is known today.
Founding members
is the founder of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization and recruited 22 entrepreneurs as founding board members to initially fund the start-up of the organization. Some of the members were Kevin Harrington, of Shark Tank fame, Julie Brice, founder of I Can't Believe It's Not Yogurt, Neil Balter of the California Closet Company, and Lisa Renshaw of Penn Parking Inc.
Additional programs
The Entrepreneurs' Organization runs two additional programs: the EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards and the EO Accelerator Program. The EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards is an awards program for high school, undergraduate and graduate students who own and operate a business. EO GSEA operates as an international series of competitions for student entrepreneurs who are attending a recognized high school, college or university, who own a for-profit business, are principally responsible for its operation and have been generating revenue for a minimum of six consecutive months.
Global Entrepreneur Indicator
The Global Entrepreneur Indicator began in 2010 as a semi-annual survey of the membership of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. The Global Entrepreneur Indicator surveys a globally representative sample of entrepreneurs to predict economic trends in a number of areas, including job creation, profits and debt loads, economic forecasting, and the business environment. In 2012, the GEI found that approximately 60% of businesses experienced a net profit, while 59% increased their employee headcount.
