Celebrating an Exciting New Chapter for Aneesh Sohoni and OMD

Executive

ADVISORY BOARD

TYPES OF SUPPORT

LEADERSHIP
PARTNERSHIPS.

OMD’s Executive Advisory Board nurtures diverse talent pipelines in Chicago. Comprised of executive leaders from OMD’s corporates and employer partners, the Advisory Board shares insight on OMD’s career readiness programming and creates coaching and developmental opportunities for our scholars.
Andrew Feinberg

Andrew Feinberg

Principal, Deloitte Consulting, LLP

Andrew Hider

VP, Strategy and Marketing
Anna Piepmeyer

Anna Piepmeyer

Director, Community Impact – AON
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Barrett Shrader

Managing Director – Protiviti
Gainer Bridget

Bridget Gainer

VP, Global Public Affairs – AON
Christy Harris

Christy Harris

Chief Human Resources Officer – CCCIS

Dan Kutliroff

Upper Midwest Officer Leader – Mercer
Dawn

Dawn Pfeiffer

Chief of Staff, SDI Presence
Eloiza Domingo

Eloiza Domingo

Vice President, Human Resources + Chief Inclusive Diversity & Equity Officer
Kent Headshot

Jasmine Kent

Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Enova

Jennifer Westropp

Director, Talent Development and Performance – Relativity
John Atkinson

John Atkinson​

Managing Director, Chairman, Marsh Chicago
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Katrina Williams

Vice President Sales, ITS & Coworker Capability
Michelle Herrick

Michelle Herrick

Managing Director – JP Morgan Chase

Michelle L. Hudson

Director, Operational Excellence – Microsoft

Nadia Ivanova

EVP, Head of C&IS Business Services – Northern Trust
Nate Margol

Nathan Margol

Executive Vice President, Wintrust Commercial Banking
Nisaini Rexach Headshot

Nisaini Rexach

Head of Community Engagement, Chicago – Micrososft

Stacey Empson

Principal – PwC

Tom Kinder

Office Managing Partner – Plante Moran
Ursula Ostrom

Ursula Ostrom

Managing Director of Category Management Services – TMS

TYPES OF SUPPORT

LEADERSHIP
PARTNERSHIPS.

OMD’s Executive Advisory Board nurtures diverse talent pipelines in Chicago. Comprised of executive leaders from OMD’s corporates and employer partners, the Advisory Board shares insight on OMD’s career readiness programming and creates coaching and developmental opportunities for our scholars.

 

Interested in getting involved? Email us at info@onemilliondegrees.org.

Andrew Feinberg

Andrew Feinberg

Principal, Deloitte Consulting, LLP

Andrew is a principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP. He has over 20 years of experience in consulting and operational roles. He works with companies grappling with a broad range of issues to help drive bottom line improvements and sustain results. In addition to an overall Consumer sector focus, Andrew specializes in working on global supply chain and sourcing and procurement transformation programs.

Andrew Hider

Vice President, Strategy and Marketing - Precision and Science Technologies

Andy Hider is vice president of Strategy and Marketing, Precision and Science Technologies (P&ST). Having led strategy, business development, and marketing at global pump and water equipment businesses over the last dozen years, Andy’s passion is in growing high-performing businesses which can also improve sustainability to people and the planet.

 

Andy started his career as a mechanical engineer in aerospace and defense and transitioned into strategy and business development for the diversified industrial manufacturer, ITT Corporation. Here Andy led strategic efforts during and after the spin-off of a new publicly-traded pure play water business, Xylem Inc. He later went on to lead marketing and strategy at Grundfos pumps’ Americas division. In his current role at Ingersoll Rand, Andy supports the annual Make Life Better strategic plans, M&A, and marketing across the five PS&T business platforms.

Anna Piepmeyer

Anna Piepmeyer

Director, Community Impact - AON

Anna Piepmeyer currently serves as the Director of Community Impact at Aon, a global professional services firm with 55,000 employees worldwide. In her role, Anna leads operations for the Aon Foundation and oversees $10M/year in charitable giving, spearheads volunteerism and engagement events and serves as the firm’s primary liaison between colleagues and nonprofit partners. Prior to her role, Anna spent 15 years in the K-12 education space in Chicago, serving in strategy, philanthropic and direct service roles. Anna is a longtime member of her Local School Council (LSC), serves on various education Boards and – most importantly – is a very proud mama to Sebron (5) and Parker (1).

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Barrett Shrader

Managing Director – Protiviti

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Gainer Bridget

Bridget Gainer

VP, Global Public Affairs – AON

Bridget Gainer brings a unique perspective to civic and business life with an accomplished career in both public and private sectors. Bridget is a Global Head of Public Affairs and Policy for Aon bringing over 25 years of experience in non-profit, government and corporate sectors.

 

Bridget has extensive local government experience with a focus on economic development, public private partnerships and leveraging finance to enhance operations and public services. Beginning at Aon in finance with a focus on mergers and acquisitions and treasury, she later transitioned to manage the firm’s strategic engagement with governments around the world. Bringing this experience to bear, Bridget is also co-leading Aon’s climate strategy to help clients and partners de-risk their climate transition. This role has allowed Bridget to develop innovative risk transfer products from local government and multi lateral institutions. Bridget also created an apprentice program engage diverse young people into corporate employment starting in Chicago and now throughout the US.

 

Bridget also brings extensive civic experience as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, United Way, Archdiocese of Chicago School Board and Chair of the Cook County Landbank Authority

Christy Harris

Christy Harris

Chief Human Resources Officer – CCCIS

Christy Harris is Chief Human Resources Officer at CCC Intelligent Solutions. She is responsible for leading CCC’s people strategy from attracting, retaining, and developing top talent to guiding the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.

 

A seasoned HR veteran with more than 25 years of experience, Christy previously served as Chief Talent Officer for Allstate where she led enterprise-wide initiatives such as leadership and employee development, future workplace and organizational alignment and capabilities to drive their business transformation. Her experience includes diversity, equity and inclusion, total rewards, HR business partner, and HR operations.

 

Christy earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from St. Cloud State University, a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from Winona State University and her MBA from the University of St. Thomas. She is an advisory member of Human Resource Association of Chicago Institute – Executive Club of Chicago, One Million Degrees and Metropolitan Family Services.

Dan Kutliroff

Upper Midwest Officer Leader - Mercer

Based in Chicago, Dan is the Office Leader for Mercer’s Upper Midwest market serving client needs across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. In this role, Dan is primarily responsible for client service and client development across the full span of Mercer’s Health, Wealth, and Career services.  Dan oversees the delivery of advice and technology-driven solutions that help organizations redefine the world of work, reshape retirement and investment outcomes, and unlock health and well-being for a changing workforce.

 

Dan has 27 years of industry experience in the Human Resources consulting arena. Having started his career as a pension actuary where he worked with large corporations for 17 years, he then transitioned into the Investment business where his primary focus was helping clients to identify the right Governance model for their investment needs and implement those models. Prior to his current role, he was leading Mercer’s Investments and Retirement practice in the Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana markets.

 

Dan returned to Mercer in 2019 after a 4-year hiatus with Northern Trust Asset Management. He has held certifications as an Associate of the Society of Actuaries and an Enrolled Actuary, and as a Registered Investment Advisor. Dan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Mathematics from Queens College of the City University of New York.

Dawn

Dawn Pfeiffer

Chief of Staff, SDI Presence
 

As Chief of Staff for SDI Presence, Dawn Nash Pfeiffer plays a critical role in driving the company’s growth and ensuring the effective execution of its strategic initiatives. Pfeiffer serves as an internal liaison with the SDI Board, executives, and senior leaders regarding company climate, employee well-being, project delivery, and sales and business development; as well as a liaison between the executive team and external stakeholders including clients, vendors, and partners to foster strong relationships and ensure client satisfaction. Pfeiffer also leads the firm’s sales, marketing, proposal development, and DE&I teams at SDI.

 

Pfeiffer brings over 30 years of sales and marketing experience in IT professional services to SDI. Pfeiffer plays a significant role in crafting and maintaining the firm’s strong culture, including corporate social responsibility and employee engagement programming. Pfeiffer has also heavily participated in corporate development activities including acquisition due diligence and post-merger integration.

 

Pfeiffer previously held the position of SDI’s Chief Markets Officer, where she was responsible for strategic sales leadership and revenue delivery for the firm across its government, utilities, and real estate practices. Earlier in her career at SDI, Pfeiffer was the firm’s Chief Marketing Officer where she helped establish the company as a leading hyperlocal IT consulting and managed services provider. Prior to SDI, Pfeiffer held marketing positions at facility management technology service providers Integrated Process Technologies and the Transactive Service Network.

 

Pfeiffer is an alumni supporter of the Chick Evans Scholarship Foundation. 

 

Eloiza Domingo

Eloiza Domingo

Vice President, Human Resources + Chief Inclusive Diversity & Equity Officer

Eloiza Domingo is the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Inclusive Diversity & Equity Officer for The Allstate Corporation. She assumed this role in 2021 with responsibility for building on Allstate’s strong foundation of Inclusive Diversity & Equity (IDE) by shaping the multiyear IDE plan to create an enduring, differentiated impact inside and outside of the company. Eloiza’s scope includes accountability for diverse representation, with an emphasis on senior leadership diversity; supplier diversity spend; and diversity in our investment portfolio. She is also an executive sponsor of Allstate’s ESG/Sustainability strategy, which has IDE as one of its three pillars. Within her first eighteen months, her list of quick wins includes testifying as a Congressional witness at the hearing “A Review of Diversity and Inclusion at America’s Largest Insurance Companies”; helping Allstate reach the World’s Top Female Friendly Companies by Forbes in 2022; the establishment of a cross-company governance framework; being featured by LinkedIn for a top company Juneteenth post, being recognized as a best company for women in both Canada and India; and leading the company to achieve all 2022 representation goals within the first two quarters. As she partners with teams across Allstate, Eloiza will further the company’s goal of being the most diverse protection solutions company.

 

In her previous role as Executive Director and Global Head of Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion at Astellas Pharma, Eloiza led the company to its first-time recognition on Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion 2020, Working Mother Best Companies for Dads 2019 list and Top 10 on 2020 Working Mother 100 Best Companies list (Diversity Best Practices), and Astellas’ 8th consecutive perfect score with Human Rights Campaign. She led Astellas’ five-year strategic plan focused on improving the comprehensive journey of diverse talent; established the inaugural D&I Governance Council for diversity/inclusion/health equity standardization; and designed and launched the D&I HR metrics reporting process.

 


Previously serving as Senior Director and Deputy Chief Diversity Officer at Johns Hopkins Medicine and The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation, Eloiza led diversity leadership programs across the health system’s medical facilities and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In this role, she led Johns Hopkins Medicine to Forbes Top 100 Places to Work list as well as earning a Diversity Innovation award for the inception of the Center for Transgender Care, a comprehensive health center for transgender patients, their families, and friends.

 


Eloiza’s background spans various industries including academia, law enforcement, academic medicine, and pharmaceuticals. She has been recognized by Business Insider as one of the nation’s top 14 DEI trailblazers changing corporate America; a 2022 ICON by the Congressional Black Caucus, the Motion Picture Association and ICON Talks; a 2022 Top Chief Diversity Officer by the National Diversity Awards, one of HR Digest’s “Most Influential DE&I Officers of 2022”, a visionary in her field by the Los Angeles Times in 2022, a Female Disrupter by Medium in 2020, one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women’s Network, the 2017 Senior Executive award from the National Association of Healthcare Executives, and was featured on the Maryland Daily Record’s Very Important Professionals Success by 40 list.


Eloiza holds an M.S. in Higher Education and Student Affairs with a minor in Counseling and a concentration in Diversity Education, and a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Spanish from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. She resides in Chicago, IL with her four sons and their dogs and cats.

Jasmine Kent Headshot

Jasmine Kent

Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Enova

Jasmine Kent (she/her) is the Head of DEI at Enova International, a publicly traded fintech company headquartered in Chicago. She joined Enova in 2017 as an Account Manager in Tech and Analytics, and in 2020 she transitioned to lead DEI for the company – aligning her daily work with her passion to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. As Head of DEI, Jasmine drives the company’s DEI strategy, manages eight different DEI Groups along with programming and oversees programs such as CHiWitCon (Chicago Women in Tech Conference) and OWLs (Operation Women Leaders). In 2022 she was recognized as a Moxie Awards Winner for women in tech by Built In Chicago. Prior to joining Enova, Jasmine spent 10 years in marketing, working with Fortune 500 clients to manage experiential programs, as well as ad buys across radio and TV.

 

Jasmine graduated from Florida Atlantic University (Go Owls) with a degree in Communications. She has since married her college sweetheart and has a seven-year-old son, and the three of them reside in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. An Enneagram Type 7 who is active in her church, Jasmine loves a pamper, great food and exploring the city with her family

Jennifer Westropp

Director, Talent Development and Performance - Relativity

Jennifer Westropp (she/her/hers): Transforming Corporate Culture and Nurturing Talent

 

Jennifer Westropp, a dynamic leader spearheading Global Talent Development & Impact at Relativity, which creates intuitive software that helps law firms, government agencies, financial institutions and other major corporations quickly find the truth in data. With an unwavering commitment to fostering growth and inclusivity, Jen orchestrates transformative strategies and programs that elevate employees’ potential, catalyze career trajectories, and cultivate a vibrant, high-performance organizational ethos.

 

Professional Expertise: Jen is the driving force behind enterprise-wide initiatives, guiding her teams to design and deliver innovative solutions that unlock human potential. Her expertise spans diverse areas of Human Resources, from Talent Acquisition to Leadership Development, Inclusion, Diversity, and Belonging. A certified Professional in Human Resources, Jen combines her passion for Design Thinking with a profound understanding of corporate dynamics, ensuring Relativity remains at the forefront of fostering talent and diversity.

 

Global Impact and Community Engagement: Beyond corporate walls, Jen amplifies Relativity’s impact globally. She scales community engagement and corporate social responsibility initiatives to address the unique needs of diverse communities worldwide. Under her leadership, programs like Relativity Fellows, Justice for Change, and Relativity Gives thrive, shaping a future where technology intersects with compassion and justice.

 

Beyond the Professional Realm: Outside her transformative role, Jen is a proud Purdue University alumna and embodies a zest for life. A dedicated mother of three, she navigates the intricacies of parenthood with grace. Carrying the spirit of innovation wherever she goes, Jen is not just a world traveler but also a culinary enthusiast, whipping up delightful dishes in her spare time. Her penchant for organization shines through in her love for checklist-making, and she continually strives for excellence, championing perennial process improvements.

John Atkinson

John Atkinson

Managing Director, Chairman, Marsh Chicago

John is a Managing Director leading one of Marsh’s fastest growing businesses in the US and Canada, and he serves as Chairman of Marsh’s Chicago office where he helps lead civic and community engagement for the firm and supports the leadership team in growing Marsh’s business in the Midwest. John is a recognized leader in the risk and human capital space. He has spent his career building companies and teams focused on helping clients navigate complex business problems.



Marsh is the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor. With around 40,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data-driven risk solutions and advisory services. Marsh is a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world’s leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy, and people. In 2019, Illinois Governor Pritzker appointed John as Chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). IBHE is the coordinating body which oversees higher education for the State. John recently led the board’s development of a new equity focused strategic plan for higher education in Illinois.



John also serves as the Chairman of the State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS), a $27 billion pension fund serving over 236,000 members throughout the world. John is a Director at Cradles to Crayons, as well as Argentum, a leading national trade organization serving the senior living industry. John also serves on the Advisory Committee of the American Seniors Housing Association. He is a member of the Board of Regents of Loyola University Chicago and the Board of Advisors of Catholic Charities of Chicago.



John and his wife have four children and reside in the suburbs of Chicago.

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Katrina Williams

Vice President Sales, ITS & Coworker Capability

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Michelle Herrick

Michelle Herrick

Managing Director – JP Morgan Chase

Michelle Herrick is the Head of Real Estate Banking at J.P. Morgan. She leads a dedicated team that delivers customized debt solutions and a full range of banking products to real estate developers, investors, operating companies, investment funds and trusts across the U.S.

 

In her previous role as the REB Central Region Market Manager, overseeing the Midwest, Mountain and Southeast markets, Michelle helped clients with strategies and tools to maximize investment opportunities, manage operating costs, mitigate risk and manage assets for greater efficiency. Michelle joined the firm in 2017 from Bank of America, where she held various roles within the commercial real estate banking business, covering a national book of public and private real estate sponsors. Michelle started her career at LaSalle Bank and remained there after it was acquired in 2007.

 

Michelle received bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance from Miami University and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Michelle is active in her community, serving as a ULI Global Trustee and a member of the Real Estate Roundtable. She sits on the Midwest Operating Committee for JPMorgan Chase and on the board of the non-profit One Million Degrees.

 

She currently lives in Chicago with her husband and three children.

Michelle Hudson

Director, Operational Excellence - Microsoft

Michelle is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana and attended Ball State University majoring in Organizational Communications and Business then later completed her MBA at the University of Notre Dame.

 

Since July of 2020, Michelle has been leading as the Director of Operational Excellence in Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation division with a focus on global data centers. Michelle came to Microsoft from W.W. Grainger where she held the role of Senior Director, Engineering Services. During her tenure at Grainger, she led various initiatives and teams to include international e-commerce programs, implementing new pricing strategies, executing major data center and cloud initiatives, overseeing performance engineering, and advancing the Business Analyst, Project Management, and Quality Assurance practices. Michelle’s career has also included opportunities at Cintas Corporation, SGS Group and LexisNexis holding roles in supply chain, manufacturing, quality assurance, as well as managed technology services delivering data center and cloud solutions both domestically and internationally.

 

Michelle is a member of the Microsoft community serving in the Women in Innovation Network, a Diversity & Inclusion Ambassador, and as a member of BAM- Blacks @ Microsoft. She resides in Chicago, Illinois and serves as volunteer for All Stars Chicago, a youth development program, is on the auxiliary board for the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, and is also a member of the Chicago Chapter for the National Black MBA Association.

Nadia Ivanova

EVP, Head of C&IS Business Services – Northern Trust

Nadia Ivanova is an Executive Vice President within Northern Trust Asset Servicing. She leads the Business Services segment since 2018, which supports client service and delivery solutions for Derivatives, Accounting, Investment Risk and Analytical Services. Nadia has 30 years of experience in the financial services industry building and motivating large global teams across US, EMEA and APAC as well as designing and delivering complex transformational programs and innovative digital solutions.

 

2014-18, Nadia was responsible for the Global Derivatives Practice including Operations, Client Service, Product Management, Change Management and Onboarding.

 

2010-14, Nadia was based in Northern Trust’s Australian office overseeing the Global Fund Services Segment in that region (Australia and New Zealand). She led the foundational build out and service delivery of Northern’s funds services products for Australian investment managers and superannuation funds.

 

2007-10, Nadia was based in London and responsible for the Northern Trust EMEA and APAC Fund Administration practice. In this role, she oversaw the Ireland, UK, Guernsey, Luxembourg, India, Australia and Cross-Border Pooling fund accounting and financial reporting groups.

 

Nadia also oversaw the North American Fund Administration unit and was responsible for the Global Hedge Fund Administration operation focusing on building Northern’s hedge fund administration infrastructure, the integration of the Baring FSG group and the formation of the US Hedge Fund Administration group.

 

2003-04, Nadia was the head of Fund Accounting and Financial Reporting for Northern Trust Ireland in Dublin. In addition to © 2023 Northern Trust managing this important and growing operation, Nadia had a wider role in developing and growing Northern’s European fund accounting capabilities. Prior to the Dublin assignment, Nadia managed the Chicago Daily Valuation group servicing US Defined Contribution Pension Plans. Nadia earned a B.A. in Finance from Aurora University and an M.B.A. in Finance and General Management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business, Northwestern University (2002).

Nate Margol

Nathan Margol

Executive Vice President, Wintrust Commercial Banking

Nathan Margol is CEO of Northbrook Bank & Trust. He previously served as executive vice president and as team lead of the commercial and industrial division of Northbrook Bank & Trust. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Wintrust Sponsor Finance group. Nathan is an alumnus of Michigan State University. Nathan serves on the advisory board of Glenbrook North High School’s incubator class as well as on the board of directors at the North Suburban YMCA.

 

Press Release Language Point Person: Elizabeth Okey

Nisaini Rexach Headshot

Nisaini Rexach

Head of Community Engagement, Chicago - Micrososft

Nisaini has been in the education realm for the past decade. She is a Chicago native and a career changer. She entered the world of education via the 2013 Teach For America Chicago Corps. Currently, Nisaini works at #Microsoft as a Community Engagement Manager where she oversees the Chicago market around philanthropic investments and initiatives. Previously, she served as the Chief of Staff for the Scratch Foundation, which was incubated out of MIT. Before supporting Scratch, Nisaini held the Director of Programming & Transformational Learning at i.c.stars Chicago where she executed programming & learning for non-traditional talent to launch their careers in tech.

 

Prior to joining  i.c.stars, she worked for Chicago Public Schools at the Network Level serving 30 schools across the Northwest side. Nisaini participated in 1871 + Latinx via the Illinois Hispanic Chamber Commerce Accelerator. She attained her master’s from Lehigh University in Educational Leadership and Organizational Design. 

 

Nisaini serves as a leadership circle member on the advisory board for Teach For America Chicago. She was recently appointed to the board of directors at Chicago Scholars. She serves as a technology council member for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

 

She also spends time volunteering with Upward Bound (TRIO), Per Scholas and i.c.stars. When she is not out in the field, you can find her cooking a new recipe alongside her husband, at Orange Theory, or reading a meaty text to stretch her thinking!

Stacey Empson

Principal - PwC

Stacey Empson is a Principal in PwC US Consulting LLP, where she serves as lead client partner for some of the nation’s most preeminent healthcare systems. Stacey’s expertise and thought leadership spans strategy, operations and technology. She is known for her team leadership and is remembered by her teams and clients for building collaborative, trusted and long-standing relationships.

 

Stacey aligns PwC’s responsible business leaderships goals with a commitment to recognizing and encouraging diversity. She is a frequent speaker on women in leadership at forums like the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) National Congress. She has served on multiple boards of directors, including sitting on PwC’s Charitable Foundation Board. The Chicago Business Journal named Stacey a “Woman of Influence.”

 

Stacey earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Juris Doctorate (JD) and Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) from the University of Kansas. In 2017, she completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School.

Tom Kinder

Office Managing Partner – Plante Moran

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Ursula Ostrom

Ursula Ostrom

Managing Director of Category Management Services - TMS

Ursula Ostrom is the Managing Director of Category Management Services at tms, a professional services firm that unites technology, marketing and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world’s leading brands.

 

She and her teams are responsible for the holistic and strategic management of categories ranging from consumer packaging to Happy Meal toys on behalf of their client, McDonald’s.  With a background in advertising and marketing, Ursula is a strong believer that customer needs and experience should be at the heart of any decision.  

 

Ursula is a graduate of Northwestern University.  She serves as leader of a Finance Committee of IMPACT Grants Chicago, a women’s collective giving organization that has awarded over $2,500,000 dollars in grants to Chicago nonprofits since 2017. She is also a member of CHIEF, a network focused on connecting and supporting women leaders. 

 

She lives on the Northside of Chicago with her husband and two children.

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.