Wokai was founded in the spring of 2007 by Casey Wilson and Courtney McColgan, two young women who met while studying Chinese at Tsinghua University. Travelling between rural and urban China, they witnessed the injustice of China’s burgeoning income gap. Microfinance offered a solution, empowering the poor to work their way towards financial independence. With a loan as small as $150, a borrower can start his/her own business, accumulate savings, and eventually earn a stable income to pay for education, healthcare, and other services. Moved by the cause, they decided to commit their lives to augmenting this type of positive change in China.

Wokai has come a long way since the launch of their website. A little over a year later, the organisation raised just over $145,000 that helped out more than 280 rural entrepreneurs. As a way to thank loyal supporters, the organisation is cordially inviting all loyal supporters as well as those wanting to learn more about us to our Wokai v2.0 Launch Party.

What: Wokai v2.0 Launch Party
Where: Punk (at Opposite House)
When: Thursday, March 4th, 8PM
Entrance Fee: Free entry and free hors d’oeuveres

Starting promptly at 8:45PM, CEO and Co-Founder Casey Wilson will be introducing the redesigned website and provide an overview of the impact Wokai has already made in rural China.

DJ Terry, from Acupuncture Records, will be spinning into the night so be prepared to do some dancing, networking, and mingling (does not have to be in that order)!

There will be a raffle at the event, featuring prizes from the following generous sponsors:

Hilton Chaoyang
Shangrila Botanical
PYE Store
Opposite House
Chinatourstailor
Black Sesame Kitchen

About Wokai

我开 wo3kai1: I start [an enterprise]. “Wo kai” refers the opportunity that our organization provides to Chinese micro-entrepreneurs to start small businesses, start change in their own lives, and lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

Wokai Today

Wokai is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with offices in Oakland, California and Beijing, China. Since launching our website in November 2008, Wokai has already raised over US$145,000 in contributed loan capital and empowered over 240 borrowers in China to start small businesses. Wokai has launched two Field Partners in Inner Mongolia and rural Sichuan and has built a global community of over 1,000 contributors, 6 flagship Chapters in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York, 150 volunteers worldwide, and a core team in Beijing and California. We have also received tremendous media success with features in Newsweek, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg Asia, CCTV, and Phoenix TV.

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