JW Oliver, managing partner and co-founder of ZimWorX, has forged a remarkable path as a business innovator, building an organization that spans industries, continents, and lives. Born in Evreux, France, to a USAF veteran and an incredible mother, JW was raised with love and faith in a modest household. His upbringing may have been humble, but his ambition was boundless. By age 12, he was already an entrepreneur, selling PopRocks from his school locker—a taste of the trailblazing journey that lay ahead.
Fast forward to today, and JW has not only founded more than 20 companies, but also left an indelible mark on industries ranging from dental imaging to insourcing, property management, sports, and even a skateboard park. His ventures are as diverse as his passion for empowering people. With over 35 years in the healthcare and dental/digital imaging industries, JW has pioneered solutions that have become cornerstones for the businesses he supports. But perhaps his greatest achievement is building an organization of over 1,200 team members, spanning 48 states and nine countries—a feat that speaks volumes about his visionary leadership and unmatched ability to scale success.
At the heart of JW’s mission is ZimWorX, the company he co-founded in 2017 alongside Zimbabwean-born Ken Sharpe. This revolutionary insourcing company, with locations in the USA, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Costa Rica, was built on a simple but profound mission: “Transforming Lives while making a Global Impact for the Kingdom.” ZimWorX connects international companies with highly skilled Zimbabwean professionals, providing sustainable, life-changing employment opportunities that uplift communities and power businesses forward. It’s a win-win-win model that JW lives by: a Win for the team member, a Win for the clients, and a Win for the global ministries supported by the 51% of profits ZimWorX donates.
With JW at the helm, ZimWorX has a bold vision to employ 20,000 people by 2032, solidifying its role as a beacon of hope and empowerment in the global job market. Under JW’s guidance, the company has helped businesses and practices thrive by delivering affordable, qualified virtual team members to the healthcare industry and beyond. It’s a model of leadership that blends innovation with impact—a legacy JW has built over decades of entrepreneurial brilliance.
But JW is more than just a business titan. His life is a testament to grit and grace. In 2022, he trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp, a physical and spiritual journey that underscores his relentless pursuit of personal growth. Successfully completed two ½ Ironmen events alongside his wife. An instrument-rated pilot and ordained minister, JW’s life is as multidimensional as his business ventures, grounded in faith and fueled by a deep desire to make a difference.
From the locker to the boardroom, JW Oliver’s journey is one of boundless curiosity, unwavering faith, and a relentless drive to transform lives. Whether launching a “Pop-Rocks” business at age 14 or leading a global insourcing revolution, JW continues to inspire, empower, and light the fires of opportunity for those who cross his path. With every new venture, he proves that success isn’t just about profits—it’s about purpose, impact, and leaving the world better than you found it.
In this candid Q&A, JW shares the inspirations and philosophies that have shaped his remarkable career.
JW, what inspired you to start ZimWorX?
In 2015, my wife and I attended a Christian marriage conference, where I met Ken Sharpe from Zimbabwe. He mentioned he was in the commercial properties and other businesses, and after staying in touch, he later invited us to dinner in Italy. During that dinner, Ken proposed starting a business together, focusing on creating jobs for Zimbabwe’s educated, English-speaking workforce. I thought it was a great idea, and we started with two team members. By February 2018, we had nine, and today, we have over 1,200. As demand grew, we expanded into Costa Rica in 2023 and Zambia in 2024, both of which have seen rapid growth. The journey has been incredible.
You see the key to ZimWorX’s success as your Win, Win, Win Philosophy. Will you tell us about this?
We call it the “Three Wins,” and it’s been central to our philosophy from the start. The first win is for our team members, many of whom are in countries like Zimbabwe and Zambia, where stable employment can be life-changing. Each team member might support up to four family members, so with 1,200 team members today, we’re potentially helping 6,000 + people.
The second win is for our clients. They’re consistently impressed by the professionalism and talent of our team members, which has become a key differentiator and fueled our rapid growth.
The third win is for the organizations we support through our 51% giving model. When we founded the company, Ken and I asked, “How can we honor God?” We decided to donate 51% of our profits to Christian ministries. At the time, it was easy because 51% of zero is still zero, but as the company grew, so did the donations. Today, we give well into the seven figures each year to ministries worldwide. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see the impact of those donations.
Let’s turn to your virtual/remote work model. What makes it so unique?
When it comes to virtual remote teams, especially in the post-COVID world, many industries, including dental and medical, have realized they can insource certain roles. That was a big shift for a lot of businesses. But what sets our model apart is a combination of five key factors.
First, we don’t require long-term contracts. We operate on a 30-day out, so clients aren’t locked into a year or more—they can leave whenever they need to without any pressure. Second, each of our team members is fully dedicated to the client they serve. For example, if you hire an executive assistant through us, that assistant works exclusively for you. They aren’t juggling multiple clients or splitting their time between projects—you get their full attention. Third, our team members all speak the Queen’s English and have a university education, which is a major advantage, especially when communication is key. Fourth, our fees are very competitive, averaging around $12 an hour, and that includes all technology and resources needed to support the role.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we don’t allow remote work from home. All of our team members work from our highly secured facilities, where we have Black Talon Security overseeing our cybersecurity measures. We also maintain triple redundancy on the internet and have backup power, ensuring a professional, reliable environment for the team to operate in, which makes a big difference in performance and client satisfaction.
Your company culture is also unique, with everything your team needs to thrive, both in and out of work, including a Chief Fun Officer! Can you share some details with us?
One of the coolest aspects of our company culture is the vibrant, engaging environment we’ve created—what we like to call a “Google-ish” atmosphere. A few years ago, we introduced a Chief Fun Officer to enhance the work experience, especially for our team members who work late shifts from 3:00 PM to midnight.
We started by providing transportation home at night, with a fleet of vans in Zimbabwe ensuring everyone gets home safely. Then, we built a 7,000-square-foot “Team Room” for breaks and meals, complete with *The Grind*, our coffee shop that rivals any Starbucks. We invested in a high-end coffee machine and hired two baristas to serve top-quality coffee.
We’ve also added fun initiatives like *Hot Dog Day*, where everyone gets free lunch, and our Chief Fun Officer organizes activities like weekend hikes, Go-Karting, and laser tag. It’s about making work something to look forward to, not just a job. On top of that, we offer great medical benefits and have a Wellness Center with two doctors and three nurses. It’s open seven days a week, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and employees can visit in person or consult via Zoom. This ensures they can get care without waiting in long lines. It’s all part of our commitment to creating a supportive, enjoyable, and healthy work environment.
You also set up an extraordinary Workplace Wellness Department to provide your team with pastoral and mental health care. How did this come about?
In 2018, as we were starting the company, I attended the Kingdom Builder Breakfast in Dallas, where I met a man who introduced himself as the pastor for Babe’s Chicken. Yep, Babe’s Chicken! Intrigued, I asked what he meant. He explained that the company had hired five pastors to provide pastoral care for its 2,000+ employees, supporting them through personal challenges like loss, marital struggles, financial difficulty or even suicidal thoughts.
That idea really stuck with me, and within two months, we hired our first pastor, Pastor Sam, and launched our Workplace Wellness Center. It was an immediate success. Today, we have 12 pastors and social workers offering over 150 private consultations per week, providing mental health and pastoral support to our team. This has become one of the most meaningful parts of our business. Knowing we offer not just employment, but also emotional and spiritual support, has made a real difference in the lives of our team members. It’s one of the best decisions we’ve made.
ZimWorX is deeply involved with many global Christian ministries and charitable causes as part of your generous “51%” giving philosophy. Can you share a few of these?
I’d be happy to. We’re blessed to support several international ministries. Key organizations are GlobalAction.com,Radical.net, GlobalImpact-now.com, JayLowder.com, and other ministries based in the U.S. but with a global reach. In Zimbabwe, we support Emerald Hills School for the Deaf, an orphanage and school founded by nuns in the 1930s. They care for about 400 deaf children, with 150 living on-site. To help them become self-sustaining, we drilled a new water well and expanded their chicken coop from 300 to 1,000 chickens, allowing them to generate income from eggs and fertilizer.
Another project we support is an orphanage in one of the poorest areas of Harare, Zimbabwe, where we built classrooms, showers, restrooms, and a technology center to give the children access to education. Additionally, we partner with an elderly center in Costa Rica to provide care and resources for their residents.
These are just a few examples, but there’s so much more. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact of these efforts, and it’s a big part of what makes our work meaningful.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I truly love what I do. I’m a people person, and every day I have the opportunity to meet new people and build connections. As the company has grown, my role has evolved significantly. In the early days, I was deeply involved in the day-to-day operations, really in the trenches. But as we’ve scaled, we’ve embraced the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), which separates the roles of the “Implementer” and the “Visionary.” Our Chief Operating Officer, Rick Johnson, is an amazing Implementer, managing the operational side, while my business card simply says “Visionary,” which has been a lot of fun. Now, I get to focus on big-picture thinking and dreaming really big every day. It’s an incredible shift, and I’m enjoying every moment of it.
