Michelson 20MM Foundation

Founder and co-chair of Michelson Philanthropies, which includes the Michelson 20MM Foundation. A board-certified orthopedic spinal surgeon and prolific medical inventor who became a self-made billionaire after selling his patents to Medtronic, he founded the foundation to advance intellectual property education and free digital textbooks.

Has led the education practice of Michelson Philanthropies since 2015 and built social impact investment platforms that provided seed funding to more than 40 mission-aligned technology startups. He is engaged with entrepreneurship programs at Wharton, MIT, and Stanford.

Education leadership doctoral graduate from USC Rossier School who has over 10 years of direct service experience with students of color, first-generation students, former foster youth, and undocumented students. She previously provided institutional coaching at the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

OER Student Fellow advancing openly licensed materials and zero-textbook-cost degree programs. She is a Sierra College student pursuing political science and women's studies.

Basic Needs Student Fellow advocating for parenting students and those navigating support systems. She studies social work at Cal Poly Humboldt and has worked with student-parent groups and Project SPARC.

Leads the Open Educational Resources initiative, working to make course materials free and shift the textbook ecosystem toward open defaults. She was previously a campaign director and student organizer on textbook affordability and civic engagement.

Senior Program Manager for the Michelson Intellectual Property Institute, deploying IP resources to community colleges and universities nationwide. She runs her own law firm serving small businesses and is an adjunct professor at USC Gould School of Law, holding a J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Smart Justice Student Fellow advocating for justice-impacted students and expanded access to education. She is a rising senior at UCLA majoring in Asian American Studies and Public Affairs.

Senior Program Manager for the Michelson Center for Public Policy and the Digital Equity initiative, advocating at state and local levels to close the digital divide. She previously worked in the nonprofit sector expanding STEM opportunities for BIPOC students and holds a degree from UC Berkeley.

Student Basic Needs Fellow working to reduce student housing and food insecurity and support parenting students. He is a UCLA student double-majoring in political science & education and social transformation studies and serves as Chief of Senate.

Legal Fellow with the Michelson IP Institute focused on how HBCUs can empower students and faculty to own their work. She is a Loyola Law School student with degrees from UCLA and USC.

Senior Program Coordinator for the Student Basic Needs initiative, supporting programs for parenting students, emergency aid, and housing insecurity. She has a background in social work and crisis intervention and previously worked in Cal State Fullerton's GEAR UP program.

Digital Equity Student Fellow helping close the digital divide in Los Angeles. She is a junior at Occidental College studying diplomacy and world affairs who previously interned with CHIRLA.

Executive Assistant supporting the day-to-day work of the CEO and COO, managing scheduling, correspondence, and logistics. He previously worked in operations across the tech industry.

An OER Advising Fellow supporting program projects as an independent contractor. He serves as Dean of Educational Technology, Learning Resources, and Distance Learning at College of the Canyons and has led several OER and educational technology organizations.

Marketing & Communications Manager leading the foundation's communication and marketing strategies. She previously worked in communications in nonprofit and corporate sectors, including Pasadena Magazine, Zócalo Public Square, and Northstar Travel Group.

Textbook Affordability Student Fellow working on course-material access, price transparency, and course marking within the UC system. She is a third-year public affairs undergraduate at UCLA.

Program Manager for the Smart Justice initiative, developing strategies to ensure educational and economic opportunities for system-impacted communities. She previously served as a Legislative Director in the California Senate.

Senior Program Coordinator for Student Engagement, managing the Michelson 20MM Student Fellowship and supporting the OER initiative. They previously worked in K-12 education and the mental health field serving foster youth.

Smart Justice Student Fellow fostering educational pathways for justice-impacted individuals. He studies communication at CSU San Bernardino and previously served as a statewide ambassador for the Berkeley Underground Scholars.

Provides strategic oversight of the foundation's initiatives and leads operations, overseeing deployment of philanthropic capital to advance postsecondary education for underrepresented communities. A former East LA middle school humanities teacher and first-generation college graduate.

Oversees the foundation's programmatic and policy efforts. He previously worked in international development, the LA Mayor's Office, and nonprofit mentorship programs, with 20+ years of experience across the U.S. and Latin America. A UCLA graduate originally from Mexico City.

OER Student Fellow advocating for textbook affordability and equitable education access. She is a second-year Public Affairs major at UCLA who has co-sponsored California legislation supporting marginalized youth.

Oversees operations and programmatic strategies, previously leading the OER initiative and developing the Michelson Spark Grant program. He formerly directed operations at Best Buddies California and began his career with Teach for America.

Supports the Michelson IP Institute, focusing on demystifying intellectual property, trade secrets, and copyright law with outreach to underrepresented communities. She has held leadership roles in the LA chapter of the IABC and community organizing.

Digital Equity Student Fellow supporting efforts to close the digital divide for community college students. She is a Coastline College student studying math and data analytics and previously earned a Global Studies degree from UCLA.

Senior Investment Associate at Michelson Impact Ventures with a background in investment banking, equity research, and early-stage venture capital. He previously held investor roles at Unicom Capital and Chisos Capital and holds degrees from the University of Colorado and Regis University.