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Join us at the DOI Gala

The 17th Annual Degrees of Impact Gala 

Friday, May 16, 2025

The Life Sciences Building @ Lincoln Yards

1229 W Concord Pl Chicago IL, 60616

6:00 pm reception  |  7:30 pm program, dinner, and live auction 

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Join us at the Life Sciences Building @ Lincoln Yards to celebrate another year of OMD’s impact. Hear from OMD Scholars and help us honor our supporters, partners, and community members like you.

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Blue Decorative figure of the letter m

Congratulations to our 2025 Civic Leader Award recipient: 

JPMorgan Chase Logo in black and white serif font

JPMORGAN CHASE

OMD is honored to present the 2025 Civic Leader Award to one of our longest and most impactful parnters: JP Morgan Chase. Through a combination of Foundation and corporate support, JPMC has deeply impacted OMD’s mission, as well as countless OMD Scholars’ lives. 

From JPMC Foundation’s first gift in 2007, only a year after OMD was founded, to their recent commitment to Olive-Harvey Scholars with the TFI Flourish program, it will be our honor to celebrate our long-standing partnership and this unwavering support at the 2025 DOI Gala. 

Read about last year’s gala

Congratulations to our 2025 Civic Leader Award recipient: 

JPMorgan Chase Logo in black and white serif font

JPMORGAN CHASE

OMD is honored to present the 2025 Civic Leader Award to one of our longest and most impactful partners: JPMorganChase. Through a combination of Foundation and corporate support, JPMorganChase has deeply impacted OMD’s mission, as well as countless OMD Scholars’ lives. 

 

From JPMorganChase’s first investment in 2007, only a year after OMD was founded, to its recent commitment to Olive-Harvey Scholars with the TFI Flourish program, we’re honored to celebrate our long-standing partnership and this unwavering support at the 2025 DOI Gala. 

Read about last year’s gala

About the 2025 Civic Leader Award:

Civic leaders support community-led solutions that accelerate the dreams of community college students by ensuring they have the support and relationships to be successful and to build a more inclusive Chicago economy. They are leaders who not only believe in the mission of OMD but leverage their relationships and influence to build a stronger network to help make this mission a reality. They understand the overlooked and untapped potential of community college students and work creatively to ensure OMD scholars have opportunities to build their social and professional capital and to advance.

Read about last year’s gala
David Scherer

David Scherer, Treasurer

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. 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. David 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.  

Rose Lizarraga

Rose Lizarraga

OMD CO-Founder & President & CEO, Lysa LLC

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.

Michael B Golden

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.