Don Shalvey

Green Dot Public Schools was founded in 1999 by Steve Barr in direct response to the terrible state of public high schools in the Los Angeles area. It mainly operates charter high schools.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was formed in 1997 as the William H. Gates Foundation. In 1999, the foundation was renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust was created in January 2000 through the merger of the Gates Learning Foundation, which worked to expand access to technology through public libraries and the William H. Gates Foundation, which focused on improving global health. The foundation participates in preventive approaches and collaborative endeavors with government, philanthropic and not-for-profit partners. Priority is given to grants that leverage additional support and serve as a catalyst for long-term, systemic change. The foundation also provides funds to promote greater equity in global health, education and public libraries. Through their partnerships in communities across the US, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to raising the high school graduation rate and helping all students, regardless of race or family income. The foundation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Aspire Public Schools operates as charter schools in low-income neighborhoods. The company was founded by Don Shalvey in 1998 and is headquartered in Oakland, CA.

PeerForward, Inc. provides social services. It partners with schools and districts to strengthen college-going culture and increase college enrollment rates in the community. The company was founded by Keith Frome, J.B. Schramm and Derek Canty in 1993 and is headquartered in Washington, DC.