In 1893, L. Frank Baum visited the great World’s Fair in Chicago. Inspired by the magical architecture of the White City and the beautiful vision for the future laid out in front of him, he created the imaginary utopia of Oz.

His simple tale of a troubled teen trying to get to a better place was in turn the inspiration for the naming of YELLOWBRICKROAD one hundred years later. Whether an inspired speech, a grass roots campaign or a full-fledged national program, we believe in the power of words, stories and action to create social change. Through collaboration with a diverse network, we’re working to design new ways to help people get to a better place.

Designing change requires many of the same qualities that travelers to Oz were searching for: courage, intelligence and heart. Intelligence to understand the science behind behavior change, the heart to empathize with people and treat their problems as our own and the courage to design innovative messages, tools and outlets to empower them to change. And like our heroes from Oz, we believe that we all have the potential to change within us and by working together we can make the world a better place in our lifetimes.