Whatever It Takes.
doing WIT since 2009
Young People Are Capable Of More
Than We Ask Of Them.
The world our teens are preparing to enter is changing quickly.
Technology will change. The job market will change. College admissions will change. The careers available to them will change.
We can't prepare young people for every change that's coming.
But we can prepare them to know what to do when things change.
That means knowing how to identify a problem. Ask better questions. Create solutions. Communicate an idea. Adjust when the first plan doesn't work. Take initiative instead of waiting for someone else to tell them what to do.
Entrepreneurship Is The Vehicle.
The Skills They Develop At WIT
Set Them Up For Success In Life.
WIT isn't built on the belief that every teenager should become an entrepreneur.
It's built on the belief that every teenager can benefit from learning how to think like one.
Because there's a difference between learning about problem-solving and actually solving a problem.
There's a difference between studying leadership and having to lead.
There's a difference between being told to be resilient and hearing “no,” adjusting your approach, and trying again.
And there's a difference between participating in something someone else created and taking ownership of an idea that is yours.
That's why WIT puts young people in real-world situations where they have to do the work.
They don't just learn entrepreneurship.
They practice living with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Founded in 2009 |
10,000+ Students |
Teens Across the U.S. + Globally
From A Classroom Motto To WIT
In 2009, WIT Founder Sarah Hernholm took a bold step beyond the classroom.
As a teacher, Sarah saw young people with ideas, curiosity, and potential—but she also saw how few opportunities they had to actually test those abilities in the real world.
Her classroom motto was simple:
“Whatever It Takes.”
It wasn't about getting a perfect grade.
It was about being willing to solve the problem in front of you.
Ask for help. Try another way. Take responsibility.
Keep going when something didn't work the first time.
Sarah left the classroom in 2009 to build a place where young people could practice those skills in real life.
WIT — Whatever It Takes — was born.
It's More Than A Name. It's A Mindset.
“Whatever It Takes” doesn't mean doing everything perfectly.
It means developing the confidence to say:
I can figure this out.
When the first idea doesn't work, I can adjust.
When I don't know the answer, I can ask.
When I see a problem, I can look for a solution.
When I have an idea, I can take action.
And when the opportunity I want doesn't exist yet, I can create one.
That's the mindset WIT has spent more than 15 years helping young people develop.
How We Help Teens Turn Potential Into Action
DISCOVER
What do I care about? What problems do I notice? What could I create?
We help teens move beyond doing what they think they're “supposed” to do and begin identifying interests, ideas, and problems that genuinely matter to them.
DEVELOP
How do I turn this idea into something real?
Teens learn by doing—making decisions, solving problems, communicating, receiving feedback, adjusting, and taking ownership of something they've created.
AMPLIFY
How do I communicate what I've built and use it to create new opportunities?
Teens learn to tell their story, advocate for their work, build relationships, and recognize what could come next.
Then land the section with:
Discover. Develop. Amplify.
Life may change.
The ability to think, adapt, solve problems, and create opportunities makes those changes easier.
The Educator Behind WIT
Sarah Hernholm founded WIT in 2009 after leaving the classroom with a question:
What would happen if we stopped simply telling young people they were capable—and gave them opportunities to prove it to themselves?
For nearly two decades, Sarah has worked directly with young people and families, helping teens turn ideas into businesses, nonprofits, products, podcasts, movements, and other real-world projects.
Sarah —> Founder of WIT | Educator | Forbes Contributor | Youth Entrepreneurship Expert | Speaker
There's A WIT Experience For Your Teen
WIT Bootcamp
Summer program for teens who are curious, have an early idea, or simply need a place to start.
They discover a problem worth solving, develop an idea of their own, and pitch it at the WIT Pitch Off.
WIT Coaching
For teens ready to go deeper and build something meaningful around their own interests and ideas.
Small group and 1:1 Coaching options.
WIT Amplify
For teens who have already built something meaningful and are ready to position their work, get it seen, and turn recognition into new opportunities.
Your Teen Doesn't Need To Have It All Figured Out.
They don't need to know exactly what career they want.
They don't need the perfect business idea.
And they don't need another activity simply because someone told them it would look good on a college application.
They need opportunities to discover what they're capable of.
For more than 15 years, that's what WIT has been creating.
Because we don't know exactly what the world will ask of today's teenagers.
WIT can prepare them to figure it out.
Not Sure Where Your Teen Should Start?
We'll help you determine which WIT experience makes sense for where they are right now.
