What Does OneGoal Do?

Total employees305
HeadquartersChicago
Founded2007

OneGoal is a national non-profit organization working to close the college degree divide in America. They partner with public schools in low-income communities to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and support needed to graduate from college. Their unique, three-year program starts in students' junior year of high school and continues through their critical first year of college, led by dedicated OneGoal Program Directors (often existing teachers within the partner schools). The program focuses on academic readiness, college application processes, financial aid, and developing noncognitive skills essential for postsecondary success. OneGoal aims to ensure that every young person has an equitable opportunity to achieve their greatest postsecondary aspirations.

Where Is OneGoal's Headquarters?

HQ Function

The Chicago headquarters serves as the central hub for national strategy development, program model innovation, curriculum design, fundraising, operations, finance, and administrative support for all regional offices and programs.

Notable Features:

Located within The Merchandise Mart, a landmark commercial building known for its art deco architecture and expansive showroom space. The office likely features modern, collaborative workspaces designed to foster innovation and teamwork.

Work Culture:

A mission-driven, passionate, and collaborative environment focused on achieving educational equity. Employees are typically dedicated to student success and work in a supportive, impact-oriented atmosphere with a strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.

HQ Significance:

The headquarters is crucial for setting the national vision, ensuring programmatic consistency and quality across all regions, and securing national partnerships and funding to scale OneGoal's impact.

Values Reflected in HQ: The choice of a centrally located, accessible, and dynamic space like The Merchandise Mart can reflect values of professionalism, innovation, and connection to a broader community of organizations.

Location:

OneGoal's operations and direct program implementation are currently focused within the United States, operating in key metropolitan regions including Chicago, New York, Massachusetts, Metro Atlanta, Houston, and the Bay Area. While its physical presence is U.S.-based, its research, impact, and model for postsecondary success contribute to the broader global conversation and efforts around educational equity and college attainment for underserved youth.

Street Address:

222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212

City:

Chicago

State/Province:

IL

Country:

USA

Where Else Does OneGoal Operate Around the World?

New York, NY/USA

Address: Specific street address may vary; serves the New York City metropolitan area.

To directly serve students in New York City high schools, building capacity within schools to guide students to and through college.

Metro Atlanta, GA/USA

Address: Specific street address may vary; serves the Metro Atlanta area.

To expand college access and success for students in the Metro Atlanta region, addressing local barriers to postsecondary attainment.

Houston, TX/USA

Address: Specific street address may vary; serves the Houston metropolitan area.

To empower Houston students from low-income communities to enroll in and graduate from college, contributing to the region's skilled workforce.

Bay Area, CA/USA

Address: Specific street address may vary; serves the San Francisco Bay Area.

To ensure students in the Bay Area's underserved communities have the opportunity and support to achieve postsecondary credentials.

Massachusetts/USA

Address: Specific street address may vary; serves various communities in Massachusetts.

To scale impact across Massachusetts, providing a pathway to college graduation for students facing systemic inequities.

Buying Intent Signals for OneGoal

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading OneGoal? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, OneGoal' leadership includes:

Melissa Connelly - Chief Executive Officer
Brenton Marcum - Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Sarah Duncan - Chief Program Officer
Jeff Nelson - Founder & Chair Emeritus
Nikki Thompson - Chief People and Equity Officer
Pawan Waddar - Chief Product & Technology Officer

Who's Investing in OneGoal?

OneGoal has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

New Profit (Early Funder)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Overdeck Family Foundation
The Boeing Company
AT&T Foundation
Stand Together Foundation
Pritzker Traubert Foundation
Polk Bros. Foundation

What Leadership Changes Has OneGoal Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

OneGoal generally maintains a stable leadership team. Significant executive changes are typically announced via their official website or press releases. As of recent checks, no major executive hires or exits have been broadly publicized in the last 12 months, indicating leadership continuity.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byOneGoal?

Discover the tools OneGoal uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

OneGoal Email Formats and Examples

OneGoal commonly uses the email format of first name dot last name @onegoal.org. This is a standard format for many non-profit and educational organizations.

first.last@onegoal.org

Format

melissa.connelly@onegoal.org

Example

90%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About OneGoal?

OneGoal NewsNovember 15, 2023

OneGoal Announces New Chief People and Equity Officer, Nikki Thompson

OneGoal welcomed Nikki Thompson as its new Chief People and Equity Officer. Thompson brings extensive experience in human resources, talent development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to further OneGoal's commitment to fostering an equitable and high-performing organizational culture....more

OneGoal NewsSeptember 7, 2023

OneGoal Welcomes New Chief Product & Technology Officer, Pawan Waddar

Pawan Waddar joined OneGoal as the Chief Product & Technology Officer. His role focuses on leveraging technology and data to enhance program delivery, scale impact, and improve outcomes for students....more

Philanthropy News DigestMay 10, 2023

OneGoal receives $7.5 million from Ballmer Group

OneGoal received a $7.5 million grant from Ballmer Group to support its efforts in helping students from low-income communities graduate from college. The funding will aid in expanding its programs and enhancing its data-driven approach to student success....more

Highperformr's free tools for company research

Explore Employees by Region or Country

See where a company’s workforce is located, by country or region.

View Funding Details

View past and recent funding rounds with amounts and investors.

Understand Revenue Insights

Understand company revenue estimates and financial scale.

Track Active Job Openings

Track active roles and hiring trends to spot growth signals.

Review Product and Offerings

Discover what a company offers—products, platforms, and solutions.

Get SIC or NAICS Codes

Get the company’s official SIC and NAICS classifications.

Analyze Website Traffic Trends

Analyze visitor volume, engagement, and top traffic sources.

Discover Social Profiles and Engagement

Explore LinkedIn, Twitter, and other active social profiles.

Identify Top Competitors

Identify top competitors based on similar business traits.

Research and Discover Companies with Highperformr — Smarter, Faster

Explore companies in depth — from the tech they use to recent funding, hiring trends, and buyer signals — all in one powerful view.

Highperformr AI helps you surface the right accounts and enrich your CRM with verified company and contact insights, so your teams can prioritize and engage faster.

  • Track intent signals to find buyers who are actively in-market
  • Enrich contacts and companies instantly, no need to switch tools
  • Automate workflows to stay ahead of every change
  • Connect your CRM & tools for seamless data sync and activation

Thousands of companies, including OneGoal, are just a search away.