Laurie Michaels, Ph.D. is an individual philanthropist based in Aspen, CO. Prior to founding Open Road Alliance in 2012, Dr. Michaels maintained a practice in clinical psychology.

 

Through Open Road Alliance, Dr. Michaels and her team provide fast, flexible, and affordable funding—in both grants and loans—to nonprofits and social enterprises facing discrete, unforeseen financing gaps that threaten to derail their impact. Her experience has led her to actively advocate for change within the philanthropic sector by highlighting the need for better risk management in grant making. She is a contributor to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, SSIR, and Forbes as well as a speaker at forums such as Fail Forward, GEO, The Aspen Institute, and Global Philanthropy Forum.

 

Dr. Michaels currently serves as Board Member for the peace-building organization, Search for Common Ground. She is a former Board Member of PATH and served on the board of the Aspen Community Foundation for 12 years, including four years as a Board Chair.

 

Dr. Michaels earned a B.A. from Williams College. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling.

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