History

How WOLF was started.

In the dark stillness of night, Julie Gilbert (founder of WOLF) heard a lone wolf howling in the distance — and then another far away. Imagining they were stronger together than apart, she realized the same was true for people and made it her mission to connect stray wolves and get the voices of the unheard heard. "If not you — who? If not now — when?"

2004

• The WOLF Pack model begins... Testing the WOLF Pack model in California
• 3 WOLF Packs launched

2005

• June - First (regional) WOLF Conference — "Unleash Yourself" in Hollywood, CA
• First national WOLF conference — "Stand In Your Truthi n Minneapolis, MN
• Introduced "7 Ways for Participate" in WOLF — building a database of passionate employees.

2006

• 2006 Annual WOLF Conference in Minneapolis, MN — inspiring 1,400 employees
• 22 new WOLF packs launched

2007

• 12 new WOLF packs launch
• Delta Teams Launched — corporate employees gathering cross-functionally, innovating and ideating to improve the female customer and future employee experience.
• First Omega chapter launches in Minneapolis with 42 Omegas. Omegas engaging customers to improve how we serve the female customer.
• First WOLF Den Launches, to share and invite each employee to contribute their unique ideas and experiences in service of customers.
• WOLF enters Canada for first global expansion, in partnership with Best Buy Canada and Future Shop.
• 2007 WOLF National Conference
• International Delta Teams Launched — WOLF enters new countries and markets with a mission to build female networks worldwide to inspire women around the globe.

2008

• 2008 WOLF National Conference in Boston, MA — "WOLF Changes World" Annual National Conference.
• 14 new WOLF packs launched.
• Denver metro area Best Buy store #1497 built and designed with WOLF Omegas — female customers, together making it THE place women to work and shop.
• WOLF Launches Gamma Girls in Atlanta, GA. Inviting women of all ages to redefine how we do business and serve the female customer.
• WOLF Voted "Outstanding Community Partner" by Women Venture
• WOLF and Best Buy appear in O Magazine's "Women Rule!" article
• Sabbatical Program Introduced through WOLF. The Sabbatical program offers employees ways to gain new skills and global experience to refresh and rejuvinate through short term opportunities in the U.S. and globally.
• WOLF Joins Social Networking — launches Facebook group and Twitter feed.

2009

• March 2009 New WOLF Leadership Announced — Liz Haesler and Mary Stoddart.
• WOLF celebrates 5th Anniversary
• WOLF Gets a New Self-Image — new WOLF logo and design elements created. The branch symbolizing connectivity and the strength of the WOLF network, the starts symbolizing the individuals in the network that can grow, flourish and become their own star.
• WOLF Giving Back in Record Numbers — 4,636 hours of volunteer time, 139 non-profits supported by WOLVES, and over $250,000 raised by WOLF packs, dens and store partners through local volunteer activities.
• Puerto Rico Pack Launched — WOLF's first fully bilingual pack.
• New WOLF website launches
• WOLF National Conference in Las Vegas, NV.