Project Ibasho
About
Wendy Jan Wong
Founder, Project Ibasho
I am the mother of two teenage sons.
One afternoon, one of them mentioned he was thinking about studying anthropology in college. I found myself listening to an anthropology podcast — and that is where I first heard about Ruth Whippman’s Book BoyMom. I read it. And something shifted.
I realized that the problems boys face cannot be solved inside the home. They are societal. No amount of love within our four walls could change the messages society was sending my sons outside of it.
So I put on my long-retired policy hat. I am a former civil rights attorney and a UC Berkeley-trained public policy professional. I know how to look at a broken system and ask: What is the upstream cause? What needs to change first?
Before this work, I co-chaired SPEAK, a coalition of eighteen private K–8 schools in San Francisco and Marin, where I designed parent education convenings for three years.
My husband and I have spent eighteen years practicing the repair and connection skills we want every family to have. That journey is where this work began.
What I bring to this work is not just policy training. It is a lifetime of acquired wisdom — the kind that comes from being a mother and from sitting with people in their hardest moments.
“Every young man who has ever wondered, ‘Does my life matter?’ deserves to hear, ‘Your life absolutely matters — simply because you exist.’”
Wendy Jan Wong, Founder
My Personal Vision
I won’t always be here to put my arms around my sons when they need it. But I want to create a society that will.
At a basic level, our ancient brains need connection to thrive. We know this. And yet we live in a world that is pulling us toward divisiveness — where national leaders and public figures model conflict instead of repair, and where algorithms reward outrage over understanding.
But, those of us who want sociatal health and connection can come together to create something different. We can choose a different path. We can build a movement where people remember what actually leads to thriving — and choose to live that way. For ourselves. And most importantly, for our kids.
Behavior is contagious. When we model connection, perspective-taking, and repair — our children absorb it. When we resist copying the divisiveness around us and choose civility instead — that spreads too.
And you are not alone in wanting this. Most people don’t want disharmony and divisiveness in their lives. They just don’t know how to do anything differently. That is what Project Ibasho is here for — to bring people together who can imagine a more cohesive and collaborative society and who want to do something about it.