THE 2025 omd return on impact report

One Million Degrees (OMD) envisions a future where all community college students are on a path toward economic mobility.

Through our partnership with City Colleges of Chicago, OMD has grown from 900 scholars to more than 2,000 last year, and we’re on track to serve 3,500 by 2026.

This report captures the impact of OMD’s partnership with CCC and Chicago’s top employers. Through coaching, career exposure, work-based learning, and investment, our partners see a return on impact: stronger communities, career-ready talent, and measurable outcomes for students and companies alike.

RETURN ON IMPACT

THE 2025 omd return on impact report

One Million Degrees (OMD) envisions a future where all community college students are on a path toward economic mobility.

Through our partnership with City Colleges of Chicago, OMD has grown from 900 scholars to more than 2,000 last year, and we’re on track to serve 3,500 by 2026.

This report captures the impact of OMD’s partnership with CCC and Chicago’s top employers. Through coaching, career exposure, work-based learning, and investment, our partners see a return on impact: stronger communities, career-ready talent, and measurable outcomes for students and companies alike.

RETURN ON IMPACT

Inside Employer Partnerships:
A Scholar’s View

“Through OMD, I found a place where I could not only grow, but where I could throw myself into as many opportunities as possible.”

Read story

PAUL THOMAS

Scholar. Innovator.
Future Leader.

1/4

Inside Employer Partnerships:
A Scholar’s View

“Through OMD, I found a place where I could not only grow, but where I could throw myself into as many opportunities as possible.”

Read story

2/4

Two Case Studies in Investing with Purpose

Work-Based Learning That Works

Work Based Learning That Works

2/4

Two Case Studies in Investing with Purpose

Through Earn and Learn programs, partners like Aon and Allstate are making work-based learning a game-changer by building diverse talent pipelines with training and wraparound support.

These partnerships go beyond access to talent. They deliver career-connected training, wraparound support, and the chance to build diverse pipelines from the ground up.

Meet these two OMD partners and the scholars whose futures they’re helping to shape.

Read AON story
Read ALLSTATE story

Elevating Talent, One Relationship at a Time

3/4

ENOVA+OMD: A CULTURE OF COACHING

Enova’s partnership with One Million Degrees is rooted in something simple but powerful: the belief in student potential.

Through corporate coaching, OMD Works sponsorship, and Executive Advisory Board leadership, Enova has helped fuel OMD’s work while offering its own employees a deeply meaningful way to connect—with scholars, the community, and their own sense of purpose.

Read story

ENOVA+OMD: A CULTURE OF COACHING

3/4

Enova’s partnership with One Million Degrees is rooted in something simple—but powerful: the belief in student potential.

Through corporate coaching, OMD Works sponsorship, and Executive Advisory Board leadership, Enova has helped fuel OMD’s work while offering its own employees a deeply meaningful way to connect—with scholars, the community, and their own sense of purpose.

Read story

PwC AND OMD: SCALING IMPACT TOGETHER

4/4

For years, the PwC Foundation has supported OMD Scholars through investing in our direct service work with City Colleges of Chicago students, as well as workforce development programs like OMD Works. Now, they’re helping us take this work national.

Read Story

Thank you to our generous employer 

Partners

MEET
PAUL

PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

Employer partnerships with OMD open doors. Paul’s journey shows how employer partnerships create real opportunities for scholars and measurable impact for companies.

From tech training to internships and high-profile events, Paul seized nearly every chance OMD’s workforce partners offer.

“Through OMD, I found a place where I could not only grow, but where I could throw myself into as many opportunities as possible.”

Paul’s journey with One Million Degrees is a powerful example of how employer partnerships deliver meaningful opportunities for scholars and measurable returns for companies. From emerging tech training to corporate internships and high-profile events, Paul has leveraged nearly every opportunity made possible by OMD’s workforce-driven partners.

Skills for the Future

1

LinkedIn training, supported by Microsoft.

Paul took advantage of training opportunities via LinkedIn Learning, where he earned a certification in Generative AI–developing a critical edge in a competitive job market.

From Training to Real-World Readiness

2

Pre-Work-Based Learning Program

Paul was among the first scholars to complete OMD’s new 5-week, paid Pre-Work-Based Learning Program—designed to equip students with critical skills for careers in financial services, tech, and business, before they begin internships or other earn-and-learn programs

From Training to Real-World Readiness

3

Co-Emcee, OMD 2025 Gala

Paul took the stage as co-emcee of the 2025 OMD Degrees of Impact Gala, where he addressed over 500 attendees and helped honor OMD’s premier sponsors, including Enova and JPMorgan Chase

INTERNING AT RELATIVITY

4

Turning Training into Action

Following the pre-work-based learning program, Paul was hired as an intern at Relativity, one of OMD’s employer partners. At Relativity, Paul applies his skills in a dynamic tech setting—gaining hands-on experience, professional connections, and insight into the workplace of the future.

Paul’s truly inspiring story is just one example of how OMD’s employer partners are positively changing lives and building the future of work.

Through training, coaching, internship placement, and leadership development, partners like Microsoft and Relativity are seeing a measurable return on impact—in people, performance, and potential.

tap into the OMD Scholar talent pipeline

AON +
OMD

From Pilot to Talent Pipeline

In 2017, Aon launched its groundbreaking apprenticeship program in Chicago in partnership with City Colleges of Chicago and OMD.

The vision: to give young professionals the chance to earn an associate degree while gaining paid, hands-on experience in high-impact corporate roles.

“Our apprentices bring drive, curiosity, and a fresh perspective to Aon. What we give them in training and opportunity, they return tenfold in innovation and commitment.”

Francheska Feliciano
Director
US Apprenticeships, Aon

Today, the program has scaled into a model for employer-led talent development with more than 100 apprentices supported through OMD.

APPRENTICES GAIN

1

Paid, full-time work experience

2

Free college tuition

3

Dedicated OMD mentorship

4

A path to full-time employment

MEET AON APPRENTICES

YESENIA

Aon Apprentice Alum

01

“Being an Aon apprentice has meant stepping into a career path that challenged me to grow, opened doors to higher education, and surrounded me with a community that truly invests in my potential.”

ASHLEY

OMD and Aon Apprentice Alum, Current Aon Employee

02

“OMD has played a vital role in advancing my career and enhancing Aon’s Chicagoland Apprenticeship Program. The comprehensive support provided by OMD—including wraparound services, career coaching, and their robust partnership—has delivered significant value to our apprentices, organization, and the broader community.”

NOEL

Aon Apprentice Alum, Current Aon Employee and
OMD Coach

03

“Being an Aon Apprentice empowered me to transform challenges into opportunities for growth. And now as an OMD Coach, I am driven by the passion to unlock potential and pave pathways to success.”

GET INVOLVED WITH OMD WORKS

ALLSTATE
+ OMD

HACKING THE FUTURE

In 2021, Allstate and One Million Degrees partnered to launch a fully virtual national apprenticeship program, so accessible that apprentices can launch their careers from anywhere in 
the U.S.

Today, it supports 
100 scholars across 
high-demand roles, from 
HR and cybersecurity to marketing, IT, finance, data governance, and sales.

The video below captures the essence of what that partnership makes possible: innovative, early-career talent development via high-quality, collaborative program. It highlights this year’s first ever, in-person Apprentice Connections + Next Gen Rising Hackathon, a launchpad for bold thinking about the future of early careers.

Over three days, apprentices collaborated to design innovative solutions that reimagine how the next generation learns, leads, and connects in hybrid and virtual workplaces. Collaboration drove every phase—from initial brainstorming to vision building to final presentations.

Watch how Allstate’s apprenticeship pioneers are hacking their way into tomorrow

Earn and Learn programs like this partnership with Allstate show what’s possible when employers make a sustained commitment to community college talent. Through a combination of on-the-job experience, academic support, and human-centered mentorship, OMD works with Allstate to build more than talent pipelines—this partnership builds careers, changes lives, and sets a new standard for employer partnership in Chicago and beyond.

LEARN ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS

ENOVA
+ OMD

A Culture of Coaching

Enova’s partnership with One Million Degrees is rooted in something simple but powerful: the belief in student potential.

Through corporate coaching, OMD Works sponsorship, and Executive Advisory Board leadership, Enova has helped fuel OMD’s work while offering its own employees a deeply meaningful way to connect with scholars, the community, and their own sense of purpose via volunteer coaching. 

 “At Enova, once people start coaching, they’re hooked. The experience is infectious—everyone wants to be part of it.”

Jasmine Kent,
Head of DEI
Enova, OMD Coach, and
Executive Advisory
Board Member

Coaching as a Double-Bottom-Line Strategy

Across the country, companies are facing a new kind of challenge: disengaged employees. As job satisfaction drops and turnover rises, one powerful engagement tool is emerging: volunteering with purpose.

Enova’s employee coaching partnership with OMD provides team members with a unique opportunity to build real, one-on-one connections with community college students while deepening their own engagement and reinforcing company values.

HOW IT WORKS:

1

Enova employees volunteer
as OMD coaches

2

Each coach is paired with a scholar for mentorship and monthly meetings

3

Scholars gain support, accountability, and professional insight

4

Coaches report higher job satisfaction, stronger purpose, and team cohesion

A Win for Employees, Scholars, and Communities

Enova’s partnership with OMD is proof that when companies invest in purpose, the returns multiply.
From stronger teams to stronger scholars, this is coaching that transforms and connection that lasts.

BECOME A COACHING PARTNER

PwC AND OMD

Scaling Impact Together

The PwC Foundation has been a key partner in helping OMD Scholars succeed, supporting both our direct services for City Colleges of Chicago students and workforce programs like OMD Works.

Their commitment has strengthened local programs and built a foundation for broader impact.

Now, PwC is helping us take this work national. 

“At PwC, we believe in the power of sponsorships to create real impact. By supporting OMD in Chicago and helping scale their programs nationally, we’re proud to expand opportunities for students while strengthening communities and the workforce.”

Stacey Empson
Principal, PwC
OMD Executive Advisory
Board Member 

Through their investment, OMD has partnered with Complete College America to launch programs in Ohio and Louisiana, working alongside the Ohio Association of Community Colleges and New Orleans’ Delgado Community College. This expansion brings OMD’s holistic support to even more community college students, expanding our impact outside of Chicagoland.

From supporting Chicago students to scaling programs across the country, PwC’s partnership demonstrates how companies can grow with OMD, helping more students persist in school, earn degrees, and launch meaningful careers.

SUPPORT OMD’S GROWTH
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.