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Melissa Baghoumian

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<div>I’m raising startup funds to launch IF.Marcus LLC, a social-impact business that connects graduates—especially student-parents and individuals with disabilities—to meaningful employment. Your support funds our first-year operations: licensing, insurance, outreach, and inclusive workforce programs that turn education into opportunity.
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<div><strong>About the Founder</strong>
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<div>My name is Melissa Baghoumian, founder of IF.Marcus LLC, a California-based social-impact consultancy focused on bridging education and employment for underrepresented learners.
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<div>I hold a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and a B.A. in Business Economics, with certifications in Pedagogy and Independent Facilitation (IF).
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<div>With more than a decade of experience in higher education, career placement, and California’s Self-Determination Program, I’ve helped countless individuals move from learning to livelihood.
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<div><strong>Vision and Origin Story</strong>
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<div>The inspiration for IF.Marcus began with my journey, navigating California’s disability services for my youngest son, Marcus.
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<div>I witnessed how people with disabilities thrive when supports exist—but how quickly those protections vanish once programs end.
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<div>Determined to model resilience, I promised myself that I would finish my education no matter how long it took. Twenty years later, I kept that promise. Having once been one of the “some-college, no-degree” statistics, I know what it feels like to be left behind by systems that fail to connect education and opportunity.
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<div>During graduate school, I discovered a deeper truth: even for high-achieving graduates, earning a degree no longer guarantees career-aligned employment. I co-founded a student-led organization for parenting students and realized that many graduates—myself included—still faced limited opportunities.
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<div>Ironically, after years of helping others achieve success, I found myself affected by the same economic shifts—mass layoffs, hiring freezes, and shrinking budgets—that block so many qualified workers.
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<div>That experience taught me this: no one is exempt from a changing economy, regardless of credentials. It fueled my conviction that opportunity must be built, not assumed. That conviction is now the foundation of IF.Marcus LLC.
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<div><strong>Our Mission</strong> is to empower student-parents and individuals with disabilities by bridging education and workforce pathways—creating structured opportunities for career advancement, inclusive engagement, and measurable economic impact.
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<div><strong>Our vision</strong> is to redefine inclusion as an economic strength—a workforce ecosystem where every learner’s potential becomes a sustainable opportunity.
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<div><strong>Why IF.Marcus Exists</strong>
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<li>California’s colleges graduate thousands each year, yet fewer than 48 % of community-college graduates secure employment in their field within one year (EDD 2024).
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<li>Nationally, only 52 % of four-year graduates hold positions that actually require their degree (NACE 2023).
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<li>At the same time, 70 % of employers report a readiness gap between classroom learning and workplace expectations (Brookings 2024).
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<div>IF.Marcus LLC closes that gap through its C.A.R.E. Model—Career Access, Readiness, and Empowerment—linking education, employers, and graduates through:
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<li>Career Readiness Coaching &amp; Independent Facilitation
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<li>Employer Partnerships &amp; On-the-Job Training (OJT)
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<li>Institutional Consulting &amp; Inclusive Policy Alignment
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<div><strong>Research &amp; Reporting for Transparency and Impact</strong>
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<div>Our first-year pilot (2025–2026) will serve 50–100 participants, build 5–10 employer partnerships, and target a 70 % placement rate—turning degrees into sustainable careers.
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<div><strong>How Funds Will Be Used</strong> (Category/Purpose/Estimated Cost):
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<li>Used Vehicle for transportation for outreach, client meetings, and partnership development	$8,000–$10,000
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<li>Travel Expenses for gas, lodging, and meals for regional networking, conferences, and outreach events	$2,000
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<li>Licensing &amp; Liability Insurance for LLC registration, compliance, and professional coverage	$2,500
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<li>Printing &amp; Marketing Material for flyers, banners, brochures, and community tabling materials (Kinko’s, OfficeMax, etc.)	$2,000
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<li>Website Development for Wix Premium site with booking, accessibility, and reporting features	$1,200
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<li>Subscriptions &amp; Tools for bookkeeping, communications, and design software	$1,200
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<li>Professional Development &amp; Training	Courses and certifications for founder and contracted staff to expand service capacity	$2,000
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<li>Advocacy, Speaking &amp; Proposal Development for Conference registration, speaking materials, travel, and proposal preparation for partnerships and grants	$2,000
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<li>Outreach &amp; Networking for workforce fairs, partnership events, and client engagement	$1,000
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<li>Office / Brick-and-Mortar	Shared office or small meeting space for client services	$3,000
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<div>Total Goal $27,000
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<div>A portion of the funding will also support advocacy and proposal development efforts that position IF.Marcus for long-term sustainability. This includes attending conferences, delivering speaking presentations, and preparing grant and partnership proposals that expand our community reach. These activities are essential for forming contracts with workforce boards, colleges, and regional centers — ensuring the mission of IF.Marcus continues to grow beyond the first year.
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<div><strong>Accountability &amp; Fund Updates</strong>
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<div>Transparency is central to IF.Marcus. I’ll post regular progress updates showing how every contribution is allocated—licensing completion, insurance activation, website launch, outreach events, and our first community partnerships.
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<div>Supporters will see measurable milestones and photos documenting each stage of growth. Your trust and generosity will be honored through visible, trackable impact.
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<div><strong>Potential Funds Over Goal</strong>
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<div>If funds exceed the initial $27,000 goal, additional resources will be used to expand community outreach, provide participant stipends, engage contracted staff, strengthen professional training capacity, and support employee wages. These investments will help IF.Marcus grow responsibly while broadening its impact across the communities we serve.
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<div><strong>Impact</strong>
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<div>Your donation helps establish a permanent bridge for learners who deserve more than a degree—they deserve a future.
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<div>Every contribution strengthens the infrastructure that connects graduates, parents, and individuals with disabilities to meaningful work.
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<div><em>'Together, we can turn degrees into careers—and potential into purpose.'</em>
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<div><strong>Connect with Me</strong>
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<div>Learn more about my professional background and community work: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabaghoumian" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabaghoumian" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabaghoumian</a></a>
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