IVCA: What is your background and how did you become part of US Empowered?

 

Eddie Lou: Five years ago, two friends and I co-founded the organization. Our pilot program was a success and have since found a great leader and team to grow the program.

 

IVCA: What is your role in the organization and what are your typical day-to-day activities?

 

EL: I am not on the management team and have no day-to-day responsibilities. I am currently a board member, co-founder, and treasurer. In these roles I offer strategic direction, provide contacts/introductions to sponsors, donors, partners, etc., and oversee financial risk management.

 

IVCA: What is the mission of US Empowered?

 

EL: US Empowered is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing low income, urban high school students with the resources, support, and networks necessary to make higher education a reality. To do this, US Empowered trains highly effective teachers to guide under-performing students in low income high schools towards success in college and beyond.

 

IVCA: What is it about that mission that inspired you to be a founder of US Empowered?

 

EL: After moving to Chicago for a couple years, I wanted to give back to the community. Coming from an entrepreneurial and VC background, I decided to start a non-profit with people that are smart, passionate, dedicated and of high integrity. The three of us (co-founders) wanted to address a big problem in a large market, plus we are all passionate about the importance of higher education. There are many reasons why higher education is unattainable for urban students so we decided to provide resources and support to make higher education for those students a reality.

 

IVCA: What are the primary sources of funding for US Empowered?

 

EL: US Empowered relies on a robust roster of generous individuals, foundations, and corporations to make our program possible for more students each year. Last year we received one of two prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Holiday Awards, which allowed us to leverage even greater support for our work. We look forward to continuing to build our committed base of supporters as we grow in scale.

 

IVCA: What have been the biggest changes in US Empowered in the last two years?

 

EL: In the last two years, US Empowered has grown from a small pilot program in one high school and seven students to a fully operational program that has been tested and proven tremendously effective. This year we will serve 234 students at eleven high schools in Chicago, exponentially expanding our impact and ability to make college a reality for more urban students. In addition, we have added a virtual support component to our programming. When our students go off to college, they remain in bi-weekly contact with their US Empowered peers and teachers from high school by way of an online forum. Students use our online system of support to collaborate with each other and share best practices at college in order to ensure that they continue to find the support systems they need to achieve post-secondary success.

 

IVCA: You mentioned an online system of support. How important is technology in helping to both organize and impact US Empowered?

 

EL: Technology is very important part of US Empowered. It is one of the tools to track the improvements and attendance of our students. Technology is a resource that allows us to support our teachers. This year, we are launching online collaboration software so that we can communicate and interact with our freshman that are attending schools all over the country.

 

IVCA: The violence in Chicago Public Schools have been in the news recently. How does those problems impact your work in US Empowered?

 

EL: By virtue of being a part of Chicago Public School districts, our students are inescapably impacted by violence. However, that fact makes us even more proud when in the face of adversity, our students demonstrate incredible resilience to overcome that and go on to apply to and attend college. Our teachers further provide critical support to our students as they navigate this challenging reality.

 

IVCA: What inspires you personally about that "resilience" that you either have observed or experienced from the students?

 

EL: Students, teachers, principals and parents that rave about the impact US Empowered has. Here is a note that is part of the inspirational feeling of "student feedback"... "Man I love college and I am so grateful that I made it this far. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me. Continue to keep me in your prayers and thank you so much for supporting me this far. Without you, US Empowered, I wouldn’t have come this far." - Wynton Shannon, Mounmouth College

 

IVCA: What measurements do you use in charting the progress of success in US Empowered?

 

EL: College acceptance and college graduation are our primary goals for our students. We also track their progress along several secondary indicators of success, including GPA improvement, ACT increase, attendance and financial aid received outside of loans. Ultimately, our measures of success are realized when our students walk across a stage at their respective college graduation ceremonies.

 

IVCA: How can the IVCA membership contribute and get involved in US Empowered?

 

EL: Many IVCA members are already active with Us Empowered (donors, sponsoring students, board members). Some active members include Jim Dugan, Steve Miller, Bruce Zivian, Jeff Moss and Al Kutchins. Several firms sponsored tables at last year's gala. As an individual, feel free to donate to Jeffrey Moss, Bruce Zivian or my Climb to Empower Campaigns. The annual Climb to Empower raises money to support US Empowered and is spearheaded by our Board of Directors, who climb up to 10,000 stairs on behalf of the organization. For more information about the Climb to Empower, click here. For more information on how to get involved, please feel free to contact me, Eddie Lou, eddie@ocaventures.com or Jeff Nelson, Executive Director, at jeff.nelson@usempowered.org.