Jimmy Wales Jimmy Wales Jimmy Donal Wales (born August 7, 1966), also known by the online moniker , is an American Internet entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia and the for-profit web hosting company Wikia. Wales was born in Huntsville, Alabama, where he attended Randolph School, a university-preparatory school. Later, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in finance from Auburn University and the University of Alabama respectively. While in graduate school, Wales taught at two universities; however, he departed before completing a PhD to take a job in finance and later worked as the Research Director
Wales Co-operative Centre the Communities First Support Network to support the work of the Communities First Programme . The Coalfields Regeneration Trust provided further funding in 2002 for the Centre to administer the Debt Redemption and Money Advice Scheme to protect those most at risk from doorsetep lenders. The Centre secures European Objective One funding in 2004 to continue work in developing co-operatives and leads to a major expansion of the Centre. In 2005, the Welsh Assembly Government's 'Social Enterprise Strategy for Wales' formally recognises the role which social enterprises and co-operatives play in economic development. Communities@One is launched by the Communities Directorate