How it started
Foundation and early years 1995-2000
In October 1995, Rick Corry of Owens Corning invited 18 non-competing companies to discuss the formation of a collaborative training consortium. These companies then established a limited liability company.
In September 1996, four more companies joined the consortium, including Chevron and Northwest Airlines.
Each company contributed $100,000 a year for 2 years and received a seat on the board of directors. The Board also had three non-voting members from various universities.
LearnShare LLC started as a service organization that developed multi-media and distance learning technologies. The purpose was for member companies to share existing materials and expertise. The consortium would then develop technology-based training at the lowest possible cost for member companies.
Through 2000, LearnShare was funded by its founding members. Starting in 2001, the consortium hired Lois Webster from Motorola as the CEO/General Manager of LearnShare to move the company to a for-profit company.
From Wikipedia’s article on LearnShare LLC, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2