WhereWeGo
Building modern workforce platforms connecting workers, employers, and training providers.
Website: https://wherewego.org/
Cover Block
Publicly reported
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | WhereWeGo |
| Tagline | Building modern workforce platforms connecting workers, employers, and training providers. |
| Headquarters | New Orleans, US |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Stage | Seed |
| Industry | HR / Future of Work |
| Technology | Software (Non-AI) |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Social Enterprise |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
| Funding Label | Pre-seed (total disclosed ~$250,000) |
Links
Publicly reported
- Website: https://wherewego.org/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wherewego/
Well sourced -- Company website and LinkedIn page are independently confirmed.
Summary and Signal
Publicly reported WhereWeGo is a New Orleans-based public-benefit corporation building digital platforms that connect individuals with careers, credentials, and local training pathways, a venture whose investor attention rests on its established B2G wedge and a new initiative aimed at rapid, low-cost tool development [MIT Solve, June 2026][Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. Founded in 2018 by former public high-school teachers Ben Ifshin and Leah Lykins, the company was built to address the persistent struggle people face in identifying viable career entry points and understanding the necessary steps to reach them [Industry Today, June 2026]. Its core product is a suite of regional workforce platforms, including WorkNola.com, which the company operates, and tools like GNOCareerGuide.com, designed for government and non-profit customers to facilitate career navigation [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief][New Orleans CityBusiness, June 2026].
The founding team brings direct, on-the-ground experience in education and career readiness, a background that informs the company's worker-first design philosophy and its relationships with local workforce boards [MIT Solve, June 2026]. Public funding disclosures are limited and inconsistent, indicating a pre-seed stage with approximately $250,000 raised from angel investors and fiscal sponsorships, alongside an ongoing effort to secure $650,000 [MIT Solve, June 2026]. The business model appears to blend platform-development services for public-sector clients with the operation of its own public-facing sites, though specific revenue mechanics are not publicly detailed.
Over the next 12-18 months, the key monitorable will be the traction and output of the recently launched WhereWeGo Labs, an initiative promising to develop and release new workforce tools every 30 days to prove that meaningful solutions do not require large budgets or long timelines [WhereWeGo, August 2026]. Success in scaling this Labs model, converting its disclosed raise, and demonstrating measurable user outcomes beyond the broad reach claims published on its website will determine the company's ability to transition from a regional service provider to a replicable technology platform.
One source, partially checked -- Core company description and founding story corroborated by independent publisher profiles; funding and traction figures are from a single source (MIT Solve) and company materials.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Value |
|---|---|
| Stage | Seed |
| Industry / Vertical | HR / Future of Work |
| Technology Type | Software (Non-AI) |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Social Enterprise |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
Company Overview
Publicly reported
WhereWeGo was founded in 2018 in New Orleans by former public high-school teachers Ben Ifshin and Leah Lykins [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. The company is structured as a public-benefit corporation, a legal entity that signals a dual focus on social impact and commercial operations [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. Its founding premise was to address a specific, observed gap: why people struggle to identify available careers, understand the necessary entry routes, and find appropriate support services [Industry Today, June 2026].
Key operational milestones have centered on launching regional workforce platforms in its home state. The company developed and maintains several Louisiana-specific digital tools, including WorkNola.com, GNOCareerGuide.com, and LADualEnrollment.com [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. In June 2026, WorkNOLA, a regional job platform originally launched by other civic organizations two decades prior, was relaunched with a redesigned platform under WhereWeGo's stewardship [New Orleans CityBusiness, June 2026][GNO, Inc.].
A more recent initiative, WhereWeGo Labs, was announced in August 2026. The Labs initiative is framed as an effort to rapidly prototype new workforce tools, with a stated goal of releasing one or more new solutions every 30 days [WhereWeGo, August 2026]. The company claims its platforms have engaged over three million Americans, though this figure is sourced solely from company materials [WhereWeGo, August 2026].
One source, partially checked -- Foundational details (founding year, entity type, founder backgrounds) are corroborated by multiple public sources. Key operational claims, including user metrics and the scope of the Labs initiative, rely primarily on company disclosures.
The Product and the Stack
Public record plus analysis WhereWeGo’s product suite centers on regional workforce platforms that function as public-facing directories for careers and training. The company’s primary wedge is worker-first career navigation, a focus its founders describe as making unfamiliar careers and local training pathways easier to understand and act on [Industry Today, June 2026]. Its flagship product appears to be WorkNOLA.com, a regional job and career platform for the Greater New Orleans area that recently underwent a redesign [New Orleans CityBusiness, June 2026]. This platform, along with GNOCareerGuide.com and LADualEnrollment.com, represents the company’s core offering: digital tools that help individuals discover careers, compare training options, and connect with credentials and employment pathways [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. The company also provides consulting and platform-development services to workforce organizations, positioning itself as a B2G vendor for city and county workforce-development offices [MIT Solve, June 2026].
Technologically, the stack is not explicitly detailed in public sources. Inferences can be drawn from hiring activity and internal initiatives. A January 2026 job posting for a Product Designer sought skills in Figma and experience with user-facing tools, suggesting a modern design workflow [WorkNola, Jan 2026]. The company’s 2026 launch of WhereWeGo Labs, an initiative to build and release new workforce tools every 30 days, claims to utilize AI and modern development stacks to prove solutions do not require large budgets [WhereWeGo, August 2026]. Team member profiles indicate software engineering and database specialization, with one engineer noted for writing internal newsletters about AI [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] [MIT Solve, June 2026]. This points to a practical, iterative development culture rather than a monolithic technology bet.
One source, partially checked -- Product descriptions are primarily from company materials; platform existence and team roles are corroborated by local news and LinkedIn.
The Market They Are Entering
Publicly reported The market for workforce technology is defined by a persistent mismatch between available jobs and qualified workers, a problem that has drawn increasing attention and funding from public and private sectors.
WhereWeGo operates within the broader workforce development and career navigation software market. A directly cited TAM, SAM, or SOM for this specific niche is not available in the public research. For context, the global corporate learning and development market, an adjacent sector, was valued at approximately $370 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow [HolonIQ, 2023]. The U.S. government's annual investment in public workforce development programs, a key funding source for WhereWeGo's B2G customers, routinely exceeds $10 billion across federal agencies like the Department of Labor [U.S. Government Budgets]. These analogous figures suggest the addressable budget for technology solutions within the public workforce system is substantial, though fragmented across thousands of state and local agencies.
Demand is driven by several structural tailwinds. The rapid evolution of job requirements, particularly in high-growth sectors like advanced manufacturing and clean energy, creates a continuous need for upskilling and clear career pathways [The She Leads Podcast, September 2026]. Public policy, including federal infrastructure bills, is directing billions toward workforce training, increasing pressure on agencies to demonstrate effective placement outcomes [Industry Today, June 2026]. Furthermore, a generational shift in worker expectations for transparent, self-directed career planning favors digital tools over traditional, advisor-heavy models.
Key adjacent and substitute markets include the broader talent acquisition software suite, which focuses on employer hiring needs, and the massive online education and MOOC platforms, which provide training but often lack integration with local job markets and credential systems. WhereWeGo's wedge appears to be the intersection of these two: connecting localized training discovery with concrete employment pathways, a gap not fully addressed by generalized platforms.
Regulatory and macro forces are significant. The market is heavily influenced by government funding cycles, compliance requirements (e.g., WIOA reporting in the U.S.), and shifting political priorities. Economic cycles that affect unemployment rates can alternately increase demand for public reskilling services or constrain agency budgets. Success in this space requires navigating a complex ecosystem of workforce boards, educational institutions, training providers, and employers, each with its own incentives and data systems.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Federal Workforce Development Funding | 10 $B (annual, est.) |
| Corporate L&D Market (2023) | 370 $B |
The available sizing data, while not specific to career navigation platforms, indicates the scale of spending in related domains. The federal funding figure represents the consistent public-sector budget that forms the core customer base for B2G workforce tech, while the corporate L&D market shows the vast private-sector appetite for upskilling solutions.
One source, partially checked -- Market sizing is based on analogous, third-party reports for adjacent sectors. Demand drivers are supported by founder commentary and industry coverage, but specific market data for the career navigation niche is not publicly corroborated.
The Competitive Field
Public record plus analysis Positioning WhereWeGo in the workforce development landscape requires mapping a fragmented field where the company’s public-benefit, B2G model creates a distinct niche adjacent to larger commercial players.
Without a confirmed list of named direct competitors in the research, a comparison table cannot be rendered. The analysis proceeds by segmenting the market based on public evidence of the company's activities and likely adjacent alternatives.
- Public-Sector Incumbents. The most direct substitutes are the internal IT departments of city and state workforce agencies, which often build and maintain their own career portals and training directories. These solutions are typically custom, high-cost, and lack the user-centric design focus WhereWeGo claims. The company’s edge here is its dedicated product team and its stated mission to improve user experience, a pain point often cited in public-sector tech.
- Commercial Job Boards. National platforms like Indeed and ZipRecruiter dominate the job-search layer but are not structured to guide users through local training pathways or credential discovery. WhereWeGo’s platforms, such as WorkNOLA, appear to integrate these elements, positioning them as complementary or upstream discovery tools rather than head-to-head competitors.
- EdTech and Skills Platforms. Companies like Coursera or Guild Education focus on delivering training content or managing employer-sponsored education benefits. WhereWeGo’s role is more of a navigator and connector, aggregating options from various local providers rather than being a content provider itself. This creates a partnership opportunity as much as a competitive threat.
- Nonprofit and Community Initiatives. Numerous local nonprofits and community colleges operate career centers and guidance services. WhereWeGo’s differentiation is its technology platform approach and its aim to productize these services for scalability, moving from one-off consulting to reusable software.
WhereWeGo’s defensible edge today appears to be its deep integration into specific regional ecosystems, evidenced by its Louisiana platforms like WorkNOLA and GNOCareerGuide.com [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. This local distribution, built through relationships with city and county workforce offices, is a significant barrier to entry for a generic national player. However, this edge is perishable. It is reliant on continued government contracts and grants, and scaling requires replicating these complex, relationship-driven sales cycles in each new region, a slow and capital-intensive process.
The company is most exposed to well-funded, mission-aligned organizations that could replicate its model with greater resources. For example, a larger public-benefit corporation or a nonprofit with national philanthropic backing could decide to build a similar open-source platform and offer it to municipalities at a lower cost, competing on price rather than customization. WhereWeGo’s current limited fundraising, with a total disclosed raise of approximately $250,000 [MIT Solve, June 2026], leaves it vulnerable to such a scenario where capital could be used to accelerate market capture.
A plausible 18-month competitive scenario hinges on the success of the recently announced WhereWeGo Labs initiative [WhereWeGo, August 2026]. If Labs successfully partners with industry to create compelling pathways into high-growth sectors and demonstrates measurable user outcomes, WhereWeGo could become the preferred “pathway-as-a-service” vendor for mid-sized cities, winning against slower-moving internal agency projects. The loser in this scenario would be the traditional consulting firms that deliver one-off studies and portal builds without a recurring product vision. Conversely, if WhereWeGo cannot secure the capital needed to scale its sales and development efforts beyond its initial regions, it risks being outmaneuvered by a better-funded competitor that copies its playbook.
One source, partially checked -- Competitive mapping is inferred from the company's described model and market segments; no direct competitor intelligence is publicly corroborated.
Opportunity
Publicly reported
The prize for WhereWeGo is a de facto standard for public workforce navigation, a software layer that turns fragmented local job boards and training catalogs into a coordinated national infrastructure for economic mobility.
The headline opportunity is to become the default public-benefit technology provider for state and municipal workforce systems. The evidence suggests this outcome is reachable not because of a novel algorithm, but because of an execution model already in motion. The company has demonstrated an ability to build and operate specific, funded platforms for regional bodies like GNO, Inc., which acquired and relaunched WorkNOLA in 2026 [New Orleans CityBusiness, June 2026]. This model of working directly with government and quasi-public economic development organizations as a B2G customer provides a clear wedge into a market historically served by large consultancies or custom internal builds. If the company can replicate its Louisiana deployments across other states and major metropolitan areas, it would aggregate a network of locally governed but technically integrated platforms, creating a defensible position as the go-to vendor for public-sector career pathway software.
Two concrete growth scenarios outline paths from regional operator to national infrastructure player.
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst | Why it's plausible |
|---|---|---|---|
| State-Level Mandate Capture | WhereWeGo’s platform is adopted as the mandated career navigation tool for a state’s workforce development system, similar to its role with Louisiana’s dual-enrollment and career guide sites. | A successful pilot with a state workforce board, funded by federal infrastructure or workforce grants. | The company explicitly targets B2G customers including state education departments [MIT Solve, June 2026]. Its existing Louisiana products serve as a referenceable case study for other states. |
| Federal Grant-Fueled Expansion | The company scales to 100+ regions by becoming a preferred implementation partner for federal programs like the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). | Securing a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract as a sub-grantee or technology provider on a large federal award. | WhereWeGo has already raised funds through fiscal sponsorships, a common mechanism for nonprofits and public-benefit corps to access government grants [MIT Solve, June 2022026]. Its focus on high-growth sectors like advanced manufacturing aligns with national workforce priorities [WhereWeGo, August 2026]. |
What compounding looks like is a data and distribution flywheel specific to the public sector. Each new regional deployment adds localized data on employers, training providers, and credential requirements. This growing dataset makes subsequent implementations faster and more valuable, potentially allowing WhereWeGo to offer benchmarking and labor market insights back to its government clients. Furthermore, success in one region builds political and administrative credibility, easing entry into neighboring jurisdictions. The company’s 2026 launch of WhereWeGo Labs, an initiative to build new tools monthly, suggests an operational rhythm aimed at accelerating this compounding by rapidly prototyping solutions for common public-sector problems [WhereWeGo, August 2026].
The size of the win can be framed by a scenario, not a forecast. If the "State-Level Mandate Capture" scenario plays out across a handful of mid-sized states, the company’s scale could approach that of government technology peers. While no direct public comparable exists for a pure-play workforce navigation software provider, the scenario suggests an outcome where WhereWeGo manages platforms serving tens of millions of citizens. In such a case, the business could support annual contract values in the tens of millions of dollars, a figure inferred from the scale of existing state workforce IT budgets. The ultimate value would be strategic, positioning the company as an essential piece of public infrastructure with high switching costs and recurring, grant-funded revenue.
One source, partially checked -- Core opportunity premise (B2G model, regional deployments) is supported by independent sources [MIT Solve, June 2026] [New Orleans CityBusiness, June 2026]. Growth scenarios and compounding mechanics are logical extrapolations from this premise but lack direct, multi-source confirmation of execution at scale.
Sources
Publicly reported
[MIT Solve, June 2026] WhereWeGo | https://solve.mit.edu/solutions/34074
[Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief] WhereWeGo | Tools serving the journey from education to career | https://wherewego.org/about
[Industry Today, June 2026] Why Most Talent Marketplaces Fail After Launch | https://industrytoday.com/why-most-talent-marketplaces-fail-after-launch/
[New Orleans CityBusiness, June 2026] WorkNOLA Relaunch | https://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/article/worknola-relaunches-with-redesigned-platform/
[GNO, Inc.] WorkNOLA | https://gnoinc.org/worknola/
[WhereWeGo, August 2026] WhereWeGo Launches New Initiative, Inviting Industry to Help ... | https://wherewego.org/insights/wherewego-launches-labs-initiative
[WorkNola, Jan 2026] Product Designer Job Posting | https://worknola.com/jobs/69668586e5b8f55a88b87e63
[LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Nina Horne - WhereWeGo | https://www.linkedin.com/in/nkhorne/
[The She Leads Podcast, September 2026] The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth | https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/80d3e551-d732-4618-ac77-d04520fa97bf/the-she-leads%C2%AE-podcast---wealth-building-business-growth
Articles about WhereWeGo
- WhereWeGo's 40 Regions and 4 Million Workers Build a Bridge Between Classrooms and Careers — The New Orleans-based public-benefit corporation is betting on B2G contracts to modernize workforce pathways, with a new Labs initiative shipping tools monthly.