The World Business Exchange Network began in 1987, the result of a global research project focusing on the needs and desires of businesses looking to expand into foreign markets. Following a test market ad on the Christian Science Short Wave Radio Broadcasting Network, the developer of WBE.NET received thousands of letters from people across the world seeking new avenues of trade for products and services.

When the Internet was made available to the public, 5.5 billion new consumers were brought to the global marketplace. It was obvious the world wanted and needed an open market. But, too few businesses were willing or financially able to conduct international trade. In those days, overseas communication took place through the mail because phone calls were costly and time zones prohibitive. Clearly, buyers and sellers needed a way to communicate faster, at far less cost.

Just about that time, technology was catching up with the needs of humanity. With the advent of electronic communication came WBE.NET, the first electronic tool designed for entrepreneurs to conduct international trade on the Internet. WBE.NET emerged as an international marketing system that has been successfully followed by many people who previously had no intentional trading background. Since its beginning, thousands of people across the world have benefited from the training, trade leads and global market research information provided by WBE.NET.

On March 20, 1998 Locke High School of Los Angeles, California became the first high school in the United States to adopt the WBE.NET Global Internet Trade Course for Students. The project is the combined effort of teacher Alfonzo Webb and businessman Roosevelt Roby who believe it is time that students left high school with a profession.

Locke high school students demonstrate the unique opportunity they have to "trade" over the Internet because of their collaboration with the World Business Exchange Network. Through this interaction, students are learning the inner workings of the online import/export business and also applying basic reading and math skills in one of the most interesting of all venues, the global marketplace.