News

FOUNDERS

MICHAEL B. GOLDEN, ONE MILLION DEGREES CO-FOUNDER

A former national award-winning broadcast journalist, Michael Golden has also served as a political campaign manager and communications strategist for U.S. Presidential, Senate and Congressional races. Michael is a fellow at the British-American Project and the Open Society Institute. In 1999, Michael’s investigative and public affairs reporting for NBC earned him honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the AP, and the Edward R. Murrow Awards. In 2011, Michael co-founded Newsbound, Inc., a media and software company based in San Francisco, CA. He is also a co-founder of the Complete the Degree back-to-college initiative in Chicago, Illinois. Michael serves on the board of the ADL and on the governing board of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, as well as the Illinois Commission to Eliminate Poverty. He received his B.A. from Indiana University, and his M.S. in Public Services Management from DePaul University.

ROSE LIZARRAGA, ONE MILLION DEGREES CO-FOUNDER

An award-winning documentary filmmaker and freelance writer, Rose’s career also includes 10 years spent developing new product and brand strategies as well as marketing and advertising campaigns at Leo Burnett, Foote, Cone & Belding, M&M/Mars and other small businesses.  More recently, she worked as a writer/editor for Modern Luxury Inc., publishers of magazines such as CS and Angeleno.  Rose graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with dual degrees in English and Political Science.  She is a founding member of the Daniel M. Kerrane, Jr. Foundation, former Board Vice President of the Fairy Godmother Foundation, and currently serves on the Chicago committee for Human Rights Watch.

DAVID SCHERER, ONE MILLION DEGREES CO-FOUNDER

David is principal of Origin, co-chairs the Investment Committee, and oversees investment analysis, acquisition and asset management. He has more than 20 years of experience in real estate investing, finance, and asset management and believes that real estate is the best asset class for long-term wealth protection and growth.

As a child of two teachers, David witnessed the daily challenges facing middle-income families. David received 100% financial aid from Harvard and played on the Harvard varsity football team, where he learned the value of team building and goal setting.

Upon graduation, David spent eight years at a privately financed hedge fund, where he opened and managed offices in New York and London and served as company president. His success in this role allowed him to focus on his passion: real estate. David earned his MBA from the University of Chicago to explore the intersection of real estate, financial modeling, and investment structures.

David has dedicated much of his time towards giving back to others. In 2006, he co-founded One Million Degrees, which has raised $20 million to help low-income community college students graduate and successfully enter the workforce. He has served as the organization’s Board Chair for the past 12 years, as the organization has grown from 30 to 1,000 students served per year. He also serves as the President of the Harvard Club of Chicago and is on the Advisory Board of Invest for Kids.

David is married, has two children, and is a youth basketball coach. David is a passionate but below-average guitar player and is currently learning Spanish.