Nonprofit leader seeks to help businesswomen
Ex-Office Depot Foundation president wants to provide support for businesswomen.
Mary Wong, head of the Listen Learn Care Foundation, says it’s time for women with dreams to look around for“a little help.”
Boca Raton-based Office Depot spun off its foundation last year after the global office supply retailer decided it no longer would financially support the nonprofit.
With a new name, the Listen Learn Care Foundation, longtime foundation leader Mary Wong is building on the Office Depot Foundation’s past. The foundation was known for its programs that gave schoolchildren backpacks filled with school supplies and initiatives to help women business leaders.
Wong plans to expand these programs further, particularly those that help women achieve their business and personal goals. “Many of them have dreams, but they don’t know how to network,” Wong said.
Through meetings and programs, Listen Learn Care provides support for women seeking to start companies as well as tackle workplace problems.
Wong is particularly proud of three women who received the foundation’s inaugural “I Am Your Girl” Awards: Leslie Grossman, founder of Stitches by Leslie, which makes fashion accessories that turn books into organizers; Dr. Shivani Gupta, founder of Fusionary Formulas, maker of supplements that feature the spice turmeric; and Desiree Wood, president of REAL Women in Trucking, a group that promotes safety by educating the public about unsafe truck-driver training and creating a network of support for women entering trucking.
The women received the award last month at the foundation’s Women’s Symposium, held in Coconut Creek.
Wong said the foundation is dedicated to helping others achieve their goals.
‘It’s important for women to take the time to make themselves the priority,” Wong said. “There are a lot of groups out there. Find one ... Get a little help.” Name: Mary Wong
Title: President, Listen Learn Care Foundation in Boca Raton
Age: 59
Hometown: Green Bay, Wis.; lives in Lake Worth
Education: After high school, I went to Brooks College in Long Beach, Calif., and received an associate degree in design. I wanted to be a fashion designer.
Family: I am a Midwest girl. I am from Wisconsin. My family all live around the Milwaukee area. Yes, they are huge Green Bay Packers fans.
About your company (revenue, clients/caseload, employees, mission): Listen Learn Care Foundation supports a variety of programs that give children tools to succeed in school and in life; build the capacity of nonprofit organizations through collaboration and innovation; help women succeed in business; and help communities prepare for disasters, as well as recover and rebuild afterward.
The Listen Learn Care Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a board of directors, a small staff (myself and two others) and a group of dedicated volunteers. A lot of people don’t think of nonprofit organizations as businesses, but we are in every sense of the word.
We are a small nonprofit, but we can point to many big success stories over the years, including 17 years of our National Backpack Program, through which we have donated more than four million backpacks to deserving children worldwide.
Among our initiatives:
■ Difference Maker! Network: a membership-based organization that offers special benefits to the members, including networking opportunities, an online knowledge base and community recognition.
■ Difference Makers Leadership Forum: Formerly known as Weekend in Boca, the leadership forum was themed “Technology Trends for Nonprofit Organizations” in 2018 and provided attendees access to dynamic speakers, information and education, and networking.
■ Women’s Symposium: For the fourth year, the popular symposium brought together female entrepreneurs, small-business owners, professionals and the like to experience two days of education, inspiration and guidance.
First paying job and what you learned from it: I have been working since I was in high school. I worked in retail. The one lesson that has stayed with me has been to treat people how you wish to be treated. Whether you are the one in charge or the person creating the experience. At the end of the day, you are creating the relationship.
First break in the business: In 2000, the chief executive officer of Office Depot gave me the opportunity to relocate to South Florida and create a community relations department for the office supplies retailer. (Prior to that I was working in the stores as a store manager and then district manager.) I jumped at the opportunity.
From there, in 2006, the community relations department’s functions were rolled into the foundation, and I was honored to become the full-time president of the foundation. Giving back to those in need, volunteering and philanthropic endeavors had also been important to me in my personal life. Having the opportunity to implement those interests into my professional life and build from scratch a community relations department was awesome.
How your business has changed: It changes daily as the world changes. Technology drives much of what we do and if we want to be differentiated and ensure that impact is noted, you must share it.
Best business book: Brene Brown’s “Rising Strong”
Best piece of business advice you ever received: Stay true to your values. Define your objectives. Be OK if you fail and learn from your mistakes.
What you tell young people about your business: How blessed I am to work in this business. I am humbled and honored to meet the amazing people I do on a daily basis. The opportunity to be able to give back is one that words cannot explain.
Many successful people learn from failure. Do you have a failure you can share and what you learned from it?
When I speak at events or talk to groups about my work, it all sounds so perfect and easy. But I am the first to tell you that life has been far from that. Most significantly, I have epilepsy. I was diagnosed with the condition when I was a child. I have seizures occasionally, though for the most part they’re controlled through medication and an electrical implant. But it does make life difficult. For example, I have to be driven everywhere. I can’t just run to the store to pick up a carton of milk. Thanks to some wonderful doctors and a great support team, the impact of epilepsy on my life and work is minimal.
But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, when I was in high school in Wisconsin, some of my teachers and counselors suggested that I should be institutionalized. They didn’t think I could stay in school and graduate — and they certainly never expected that I’d be able to have a career and make it on my own.
Fast-forward to last year when current management at Office Depot decided to no longer use the foundation as its charitable giving arm. I was abruptly separated from a company that I had worked so closely with for nearly two decades. It was hard to imagine going forward. But it was my team, my dogs, my friends and the thousands of people who depended on the work, donations and effort of our foundation that pushed me forward. It was a difficult time — and to this day is — as we continue to re-brand and grow our foundation.
What do you see ahead for Palm Beach County? Palm Beach County is a great place to live and work. I have to give credit to the dedicated nonprofits, volunteers and city officials that look at these issues and opportunities square in the face and say, “Bring it on.” They are truly working on solutions together. Organizations need the support of the business community to keep the work going.
Power lunch spot: Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton
Where we’d find you when you’re not at the office: Beyond my work and volunteering, I am a dog lover and an arts-and-crafts enthusiast. I spend my spare time with my dogs, painting and gardening.
Favorite smartphone app: Unroll.me, which helps clean out your inbox.
What is the most important trait you look for when hiring? Honesty.