by Ashlyn Huff

Jonathan Wachtel, OurCo’s co-founder and president, became enthralled with social impact work during his time at the University of California, Berkeley, where he saw the value in building a career around helping others.

After college graduation, he served with a civic diplomacy project in Moscow, bridging the gap between Soviets and Americans in the heat of the Cold War. He saw firsthand the humanity in each person he met, regardless of their country of origin. It was that mindset that inspired Jonathan to develop the OUR social platform to connect leaders and the people they serve. 

The OUR app was the brainchild of Jonathan, an on-air global affairs analyst on national and international channels, his son, and a few long-time friends, all of whom had vast experience in media, public service and tech. They saw the disconnect between ordinary people and leaders, resulting in citizens feeling too overwhelmed for civic participation. They wanted to reinvent social participation for the internet age. OurCo was founded on one simple principle: inspiring change in communities by giving people a voice. 

Jonathan wanted to grow a platform, not a mandate, in which people could express their ideas freely. He has a reputation for having a “green thumb,” and like in his garden, Jonathan has planted the seed of OurCo, and tended to its development ever since.  

Jonathan is optimistic about the future. Through his work as a journalist with ABC and Worldwide Television News based in Moscow and London, his assignments allowed him to witness historic events—from the collapse of the Soviet Union to wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East, or working as a U.S. diplomat and advisor at the United Nations. Jonathan’s world view is the driving force behind OUR—finding ways to strengthen and connect communities.  

Unfortunately, Jonathan can’t meet every OUR user (as much as he would love to). Yet he would undoubtedly bring the same warmth and compassion to each one if he had the opportunity to. Regardless of how much OurCo continues to evolve and grow, Jonathan remains committed to working for humanity and to building healthier communities.