Wolfe Herd was born in Salt Lake City , Utah , to property developer Michael Wolfe and his wife Kelly . Wolfe Herd attended Judge Memorial Catholic High School . When she was in 4th grade , the family did a sabbatical in Paris , France , and she became fluent in French as a result . Wolfe Herd attended Southern Methodist University , where she majored in International Studies . She was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority . Her junior year she studied abroad at Sorbonne University in Paris . While in college and at the age of 19 , she started a business selling bamboo tote bags benefiting areas affected by the BP oil spill . Wolfe Herd partnered with celebrity stylist Patrick Aufdenkamp to launch the non-profit organization called the " Help Us Project . " The bags received national press after celebrities such as Rachel Zoe and Nicole Richie were photographed with them . After graduating , Wolfe Herd traveled to Southeast Asia where she worked with orphanages
BP oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Whitney Wolfe Herd