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Thriving in the City of Angels

Empowering Students of Color from the Start

We’re proud to say that Thrive Scholars started 20 years ago in the neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. We knew then, as we do today, that the only thing keeping Black, Latinx, and other underrepresented students in L.A. from achieving career success is access to real opportunity.

With our support, our L.A. Scholars aren’t just graduating from college, they are thriving at top ranked schools — and joining our country’s most innovative companies with the skills and experience to be the professional, business, and civic leaders our region needs.

Top 7 Colleges for Los Angeles Scholars and Alums

What Alumni Say

Sreymich, LA Scholar Alum

Pomona College Class of 2020, Bernstein Private Wealth Management

Thrive Scholars took a chance on me — a first-gen, low-income Scholar with no network. They have given me the opportunities and resources to be academically and professionally prepared. But most importantly, Thrive Scholars has given me a support system and the confidence to compete alongside the best in the world.

What Los Angeles Corporate Partners Say

Davidson Pattiz

COO, Zenith Insurance Company

Over the last 10 years, Zenith Insurance Company has sponsored, mentored and provided internships for dozens of Thrive Scholars, a number of whom now are part of our company family as full-time Zenith employees. Thrive Scholars’ intense focus on one-to-one coaching and guidance makes all the difference in helping promising young men and women of color get to where they deserve to be notwithstanding any economic or societal barriers thrown in their way. We are blessed to be part of what Thrive has done, is doing, and will do in the future. It truly is a remarkable organization, whose mission is uniquely suited for our times.

Los Angeles Board of Directors

Meet the committed leadership guiding our efforts to triple the number of students we serve in Los Angeles and nationwide.

  • Robert Brook

    Distinguished Chair in Health Care Services at the RAND Corporation

  • Lauro Gonzalez

    CEO, SATMEX, Retired

  • Kari Van Gundy

    Chief Executive Officer, Zenith Insurance

  • Nancy Hinojos

    Deployment Strategist - Palantir Technologies

  • Stanley Iezman

    CEO, American Realty Advisors

  • Ramsey Jay, Jr

    Public Speaker

  • Masai Minters

    Director, Academic Advancement Program at UCLA

  • Davidson Pattiz

    COO, Zenith Insurance

  • Michael Quick

    Provost Emeritus and Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California - Dornslife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences

  • Timothy M. Teagle

    Global Client Services Partner, Business Development Leader Ernst & Young, LLP

  • Godwin Tsado

    Data Science Analyst, Capital Group

  • Jeff Weiss

    Founder & Managing Director, CCI

  • David Wirtschafter

    Board Member, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

  • Arlene Withers

    Certified Professional Coach

Los Angeles Sponsors

Our Los Angeles program is made possible with the generous support from key corporations and foundations invested in making a difference in the Los Angeles Area.

*These companies also participate in our Corporate Sponsorship Program.

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Interested in learning more about our programming in Los Angeles?

Contact our Los Angeles Executive Director

Martha Sanchez

Boston Thriving

We’re making a difference in Greater Boston

In 2019, the Boston Globe reported on valedictorians from Boston public high schools who graduated from 2005-2007. Their research showed that high-achieving, low-income students of color did not receive the same support, attention, and preparation for career success as their higher-income peers.

  • 25%

  • Of these talented and motivated students didn’t graduate college

  • 40%

  • make $50k or less per year 12 to 14 years later

  • 0%

  • Got into and graduated from medical school — even though 25% aspired to be doctors

With our support, over 98% of Boston Scholars in our program graduate, and more importantly thrive, in college. Over 90% go to Top 100 colleges. While there, they earn better grades and persist more in difficult STEM majors than all other student profiles. And they graduate with the skills and experience needed to be the professional, business, and civic leaders our region needs.

Top 7 Colleges of Boston Scholars and Boston Alums

What Alumni Say

Wilna, Boston Scholar Alum

Tufts Class of 2018, MPH from Columbia 2020

If I don’t graduate and get the right degree, I will have the passion but not the hard skills and tools I need to help me get where I want to get to. And Thrive Scholars has given me the support I need to make sure I know I can do it. They are another family—it helps to know that there are people, besides my immediate family, that are behind me who want me to do well.

What Boston Corporate Partners Say

Melissa Hayden

Campus Recruiter, Wellington Management

Our early career recruiting team at Wellington Management has had a successful track record of hiring scholars from Thrive Scholars for our internship and full-time roles since 2018. The training and mentoring that Thrive provides its scholars is a significant reason why—we’ve found Thrive students to be eager to learn and ready to engage in all aspects of the business and culture of our firm. We look forward to continuing our partnership as Thrive grows nationally!

Boston Board of Directors

Meet the committed leadership guiding our efforts to triple the number of students we serve in Boston and nationwide.

  • Théry Badin

    Management Consulting Senior Analyst, Accenture

  • Wendy Cassity

    Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Nuance Communications

  • Alison Eggers

    Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

  • Shawna A. Ferguson, M.Ed, CCDP/AP

    Managing Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion, Wellington Management

  • Bob Giannino

    President & CEO, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

  • Michael Goldstein, MD, MBA

    Co-Director, Cornea, External Disease and Cataract Service, Tufts Medical Center Chief Medical Officer, Ocular Therapeutix

  • Larry Greenberg

    Private Investor

  • Sheila Lawrence

    Partner, Ballentine Partners LLC

  • Oscar Leong

    PhD student, Rice University

  • Dr. Adrian B. Mims

    Founder/Executive Director, The Calculus Project Inc.

  • Frannie Moyer

    Teacher & Coach, Boston Public Schools

  • Joy St. John

    Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Wellesley College

  • Becky Vogel

    Senior Director - District & School Partnerships, OneGoal

Boston Sponsors

Our Boston program is made possible with the generous support from key corporations and foundations invested in making a difference in Greater Boston.

*These companies also participate in our Corporate Sponsorship Program.

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Interested in learning more about our programming in Boston?

Contact our East Coast Executive Director

Dan Navisky

Chicago Thrives

Launching extraordinary futures in the Windy City

Our program prepares and supports high-achieving underrepresented students across Chicago to get into the nation’s Top 100 colleges – and graduate with the career skills and experience they need to thrive at the most innovative companies.

What’s at stake in Chicago?

Today there are 2,500 low-income students of color in Chicago with the academic qualifications to get into top colleges. To succeed at top colleges, these talented students deserve our full support — but there simply aren’t enough city-wide programs to support them all.

That’s why, as part of our strategic national expansion to serve as many students of color as possible, Thrive Scholars is proud to now call Chicago home.

Thanks to our Supporters in Chicago

Our expansion to Chicago would not be possible without the generous seed funding from key corporations and foundations. By supporting Chicago’s most talented and ambitious students of color today, they’re helping them to become the professional, business, and civic leaders of tomorrow.

*These companies also participate in our Corporate Sponsorship Program.

Some of the colleges Thrive Scholars attend

What Chicago Scholars Say

Kiara

Northwestern University, Class of 2024

As a first-gen, low-income student, I was worried about going through the college application process and transitioning to this next stage in my education on my own. However, my Thrive College Access Manager and College Success Manager have been with me every step of the way. The Thrive community is full of academic excellence and awe-inspiring success stories, which just make me more excited to pursue my own goals. I love my Thrive family for believing in me and pushing me to do my best.

What Chicago Corporate Partners Say

Danny Sharp, Partner

Head of Alternatives, The Client Group Wellington Management Company

We wrestle with how to help more kids of color find their way into leadership positions and careers in finance, law, and other corporate professions. Wellington has been a supporter of Thrive Scholars for years and has been impressed by their data-driven programming and results in getting motivated and talented youth of color into great colleges and helping them graduate ready to thrive in companies like Wellington. Wellington is excited to have played a part in bringing Thrive Scholars to Chicago. We hope other local firms will find ways to get involved and support Thrive in Chicago. Our problems as a City require us to harness the abilities of our most talented youth of color. We need them as much, or more, than they need us.

Chicago Board of Directors

Meet the committed leadership guiding our efforts to triple the number of students we serve in Chicago and nationwide.

  • Dolores M. Muñoz

    Senior Relationship Manager, Cabrera Capital Markets LLC

  • Danny Sharp

    Head of Alternatives, The Client Group Wellington Management Company

  • Craig Slack

    Chief Investment Officer, City of Chicago

  • Michael B. Slade

    Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

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Interested in learning more about our programming in Chicago?

Contact our Chicago Executive Director

Kylia Kummer

Thriving in Cleveland

Opportunity Rises on the Shores of Lake Erie

As part of our strategic national expansion to serve as many students of color as possible, Thrive Scholars is thrilled to count Cleveland among the cities where we work.

Our program prepares and supports high-achieving underrepresented students in Cleveland to get into the nation’s Top 100 colleges – and graduate with the career skills and experience they need to thrive at the most innovative companies.

Meeting the need in Cleveland

There are 50,000 low-income students of color in America with the academic qualifications to get into top colleges – many from Cleveland. To succeed at top colleges, these talented students need our full support, just like that of their more privileged peers. Current programs aren’t enough, but Thrive Scholars has a solution. Refined over 20 years, our program works. And now, it’s working for Cleveland.

Thanks to our Supporters in Cleveland

Our expansion to Cleveland would not be possible without the generous seed funding from key corporations and foundations. By supporting Cleveland’s most talented and ambitious students of color today, they’re helping them to become the professional, business, and civic leaders of tomorrow.

 

*These companies also participate in our Corporate Sponsorship Program.

Some of the colleges Thrive Scholars attend

What Cleveland Scholars Say

Marshall

Cleveland Early College at John Hay Campus Howard University, 2024

Coming from a background where there weren’t many people thinking about college at all. Thrive gave me a support system with peers and mentors to help me succeed in not only the college application process but succeeding in college as well.

What Cleveland Partners Say

Walt Rosebrough

CEO, STERIS Corporation

When I first learned about Thrive Scholars, I was impressed with their ability to deliver tangible results. Their approach focuses on finding and supporting high-achieving students of color from lower socio-economic status and supporting them for the last two years in high school and throughout college. The result of this program is more than 1,100 alumni over twenty years - making a difference for tomorrow's leaders. STERIS is pleased to support the opening of a Thrive Scholars Cleveland chapter. Our community can make a difference to these young adults, who would then be on a path to make a difference to our community.

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Interested in learning more about our programming in Cleveland?

Contact our Cleveland Executive Director

Steven Lake