The Michelson Twenty Million Minds Foundation
Part of Michelson Philanthropies
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The Michelson Twenty Million Minds Foundation Snapshot
We accelerate progress towards a more just world by investing in tech entrepreneurs, changemakers, and policy - to catalyze scalable innovations in the knowledge economy.
History:
Founded by Dr. Gary K. Michelson in 2010, Michelson 20MM is positioned at the leading edge of innovation in education. The foundation has been catalytic in increasing access, affordability, and efficacy in higher education through the use of innovative technologies and new educational models. The organization was launched a decade ago when a simple news article of qualified community college students dropping out due to the cost of textbooks moved Dr. Michelson to first provide immediate help, and then to move towards addressing the issue at scale. The subsequent $1.5 million grant to Openstax created the world's first commercial grade, openly licensed college textbooks available to students at zero cost -- and set the organization on its way.
The foundation continued to advance its education agenda with the creation of the country’s first impact oriented higher education accelerator: Michelson Runway. Operating from 2016 to 2019, Michelson Runway supported and directly invested in scalable, mission aligned, for-profit start-ups working to improve student retention, address the dropout crisis, create new models for career training, integrate outside content and brands with curricula from leading postsecondary institutions, and more. The foundation has operated four accelerator cohorts, partnering with the EdVentures Accelerator at USC Rossier and the Village Capital Future of Work and Learning Accelerator.
In addition, we continued to increase the impact investment portfolio with one-off investments, supported educational programming for entrepreneurs, and committed to investing in select companies that align with the foundation’s mission as they arise. As of December 2020, the foundation has grown its impact investment portfolio, which now includes 22 companies and one acquisition.
In recent years, while investing time and energy listening to community and fostering relationships with other funders and stakeholders, Michelson 20MM has been expanding its focus by growing its infrastructure, developing distinct grantmaking initiatives that increase access and affordability in the areas of Intellectual Property, social justice for incarcerated youth, student basic needs, and decreasing the digital divide in education, while building a diverse and robust portfolio of approaches that learns with, and moves away from, traditional philanthropy.
For more information about the foundation’s initiatives and methodologies for impact, please see below.
About Dr. Gary K. Michelson:
Dr. Gary K. Michelson is the Founder, President, and Co-Chair of the foundation, the last function being shared with his wife, Alya Michelson who is also a foundation Co-Chair.
An orthopedic and spinal surgeon, inventor, and philanthropist, Dr. Michelson has more than 990 patents for medical devices and procedures worldwide. His desire to create a better and more fair world resulted in the creation of Michelson Philanthropies, which includes three private foundations supporting medical research, animal welfare, and education.
Target Population & Current Geography of Impact:
Michelson 20MM exists to serve underrepresented, post secondary students. While ultimately aiming for a national footprint, we currently focus our energy in California. We view California as a place to prove methodologies and policies that could be scaled in other states and ultimately, across the country.
Many of our funding recipients work not just locally, but nationally and internationally. At times, the foundation might choose to pursue federal policy projects as well as partnerships and projects supporting other populations and geographies of interest.
Founded by Dr. Gary K. Michelson in 2010, Michelson 20MM is positioned at the leading edge of innovation in education. The foundation has been catalytic in increasing access, affordability, and efficacy in higher education through the use of innovative technologies and new educational models. The organization was launched a decade ago when a simple news article of qualified community college students dropping out due to the cost of textbooks moved Dr. Michelson to first provide immediate help, and then to move towards addressing the issue at scale. The subsequent $1.5 million grant to Openstax created the world's first commercial grade, openly licensed college textbooks available to students at zero cost -- and set the organization on its way.
The foundation continued to advance its education agenda with the creation of the country’s first impact oriented higher education accelerator: Michelson Runway. Operating from 2016 to 2019, Michelson Runway supported and directly invested in scalable, mission aligned, for-profit start-ups working to improve student retention, address the dropout crisis, create new models for career training, integrate outside content and brands with curricula from leading postsecondary institutions, and more. The foundation has operated four accelerator cohorts, partnering with the EdVentures Accelerator at USC Rossier and the Village Capital Future of Work and Learning Accelerator.
In addition, we continued to increase the impact investment portfolio with one-off investments, supported educational programming for entrepreneurs, and committed to investing in select companies that align with the foundation’s mission as they arise. As of December 2020, the foundation has grown its impact investment portfolio, which now includes 22 companies and one acquisition.
In recent years, while investing time and energy listening to community and fostering relationships with other funders and stakeholders, Michelson 20MM has been expanding its focus by growing its infrastructure, developing distinct grantmaking initiatives that increase access and affordability in the areas of Intellectual Property, social justice for incarcerated youth, student basic needs, and decreasing the digital divide in education, while building a diverse and robust portfolio of approaches that learns with, and moves away from, traditional philanthropy.
For more information about the foundation’s initiatives and methodologies for impact, please see below.
About Dr. Gary K. Michelson:
Dr. Gary K. Michelson is the Founder, President, and Co-Chair of the foundation, the last function being shared with his wife, Alya Michelson who is also a foundation Co-Chair.
An orthopedic and spinal surgeon, inventor, and philanthropist, Dr. Michelson has more than 990 patents for medical devices and procedures worldwide. His desire to create a better and more fair world resulted in the creation of Michelson Philanthropies, which includes three private foundations supporting medical research, animal welfare, and education.
Target Population & Current Geography of Impact:
Michelson 20MM exists to serve underrepresented, post secondary students. While ultimately aiming for a national footprint, we currently focus our energy in California. We view California as a place to prove methodologies and policies that could be scaled in other states and ultimately, across the country.
Many of our funding recipients work not just locally, but nationally and internationally. At times, the foundation might choose to pursue federal policy projects as well as partnerships and projects supporting other populations and geographies of interest.
