Today, I am honored to announce that John Rice will be joining Opendoor’s Board of Directors and the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. As we seek to expand our Board, we’ve aimed to find executives and leaders that align with our mission and bring a unique skill set that pushes our thinking. As a seasoned executive, board member, and founder, John’s career in many ways sets the standard for diversity and inclusion.
John is the founder and CEO of Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), a national non-profit organization that is transforming the leadership pipelines of the country’s most influential organizations by driving breakthrough results for individuals and institutions. MLT prepares low and moderate income men and women of color to secure high trajectory post-college jobs that deliver economic mobility for their families, and then provides the social capital they need to become high-impact senior leaders who can transform our institutions and vulnerable communities. MLT also provides a comprehensive solution for institutions that combines best-in-class recruitment, retention and diversity strategy offerings. I am grateful that John is now a partner to help drive that same impact and commitment to delivering on representation and results here at Opendoor.
Even as an MBA student at Harvard, John was committed and passionate about having an outsized impact on helping underrepresented minorities develop into high impact leaders. He carried this mission with him through a successful career – first at the Walt Disney Company, then later the National Basketball Association – before ultimately dedicating his focus and founding MLT in 2001. Since then, he has spent the last two decades leading and growing this organization, helping more than 8,000 underrepresented students and professionals land accelerated jobs out of college and develop in their careers. MLT works with the nation’s top MBA programs and industry-leading companies, such as Goldman Sachs, Google, Procter & Gamble, and Deloitte to strengthen their recruitment and retention of diverse talent and to help them level the playing field for all their employees.
In addition to his leadership of MLT, John serves on the Board of Trustees of Yale University and is a Director and Governance Committee Chair of Walker & Dunlop, a NYSE-listed real estate finance company. John was appointed to President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans and on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He also serves on a number of non-profit boards, including the Institute for Citizens and Scholars and venture philanthropy fund New Profit.
I look forward to partnering with John and our entire Board as we continue to build Opendoor, hire a diverse, talented team, and expand our impact for the families and communities we serve.
Eric Wu is co-founder and CEO of Opendoor.
