WCN’s story begins with three individuals: Charles Knowles and Akiko Yamazaki, both Silicon Valley innovators and philanthropists with deep love for wildlife, and John Lukas, a seasoned conservationist and former director of the White Oak Conservation Center. These three founders became united in their shared concern over the accelerating loss of wildlife and their desire to find new solutions. They also saw how philanthropists were facing three key challenges: the need for transparency regarding where their funding goes and the impact it has, the desire for efficiency in ensuring funding reaches the ground rather than being absorbed by large US institutions, and the importance of genuine collaboration. WCN’s founders combined Lukas’s invaluable conservation expertise with Knowles’ and Yamazaki’s entrepreneurial backgrounds to create a new conservation model.
Part of what made WCN unique was its foundational belief that lasting conservation starts with people—specifically, those who live closest to wildlife and understand what’s truly needed to protect it. Rather than imposing solutions from afar, WCN committed to supporting small-scale conservationists with big potential, applying business acumen and entrepreneurial know-how to amplify their impact while helping donors connect directly with proven, passionate conservationists.
Over two decades later, WCN has grown from supporting a small group of dedicated conservationists to fostering a global community spanning almost 70 countries. Yet despite this tremendous growth, the organization has never lost sight of its founding spirit—one born not just from three visionary leaders, but from thousands of conservationists and supporters who believed wildlife and people could thrive together. Today, WCN continues to celebrate each individual’s contribution while building a future where endangered species can flourish through the power of community and collaboration.