Our Founder's Legacy
Driving Innovation
Inspiring Future Generations
Near the sunset of a full career filled with hard work, perseverance, and many successes, Don Wood founded the 80/20 Foundation Trust in 2018, which was later renamed the Don Wood Foundation. Don built his life and career on a simple but powerful belief: opportunity should not be limited to one path.
Don recognized the immense value of industrial trades, advanced manufacturing, innovation, having an entrepreneurial mindset, and leadership skills. He believed individuals should have access to the tools, credentials, and real-world training necessary to build meaningful careers and provide for their families and the community. He saw his Foundation as a vehicle to get there.
A “toolmaker turned innovator” and lifelong salesman, Don was known for thinking differently, and acting boldly. In his fifties, when many were planning for retirement, Don was just getting started. He launched 80/20 Inc., which grew to become one of the largest employers in Whitley County, fueled by his entrepreneurial spirit and relentless pursuit of opportunity.
Those who knew Don best often recall his many “Don-isms.” Among the most memorable was his advice to “pack your own chute.” To Don, this meant taking responsibility for your future, gaining the skills, experience, and mindset needed to succeed. That philosophy became the heartbeat of the Don Wood Foundation: empowering individuals to prepare themselves for opportunity and step confidently into their purpose.
Don passed away in March 2019, but his vision continues to guide the Foundation’s work. His legacy lives on in the students, workers, educators, and innovators who benefit from expanded access to advanced manufacturing pathways through training and education across northeast Indiana.
To preserve Don Wood’s essence as a person, businessman, and community leader, the Foundation’s Board of Directors launched the Don Wood Legacy Project. Through a short documentary featuring stories from family members, colleagues, friends and employees of 80/20 Inc., the project captures firsthand reflections on Don’s character, values, and approach to leadership.
These stories serve as more than a tribute, they provide a critical playbook for understanding Don’s thinking and donor intent. By documenting the principles that shaped his life and work, the Foundation ensures that his values continue to inform its strategy, grantmaking, and long-term vision.
Sharing Don’s story through the eyes of those who knew him well allows future generations to understand not only what he built, but why he built it — and how his community-minded spirit continues to inspire innovation, leadership, and opportunity throughout the region.
