About Us
Making the World a Better Place For All of Us
Make a Donation
Share Your Story
Our Story
The “OVER MY SHOULDER” Foundation is a unique media-based project whose goal is to raise awareness of the impact of mentoring both cross-culturally and cross-generationally. Inspired by the lead song, “Over My Shoulder,” written by song-writer Dawn Carroll, Charlie Farren, Brynn Arens and Barry Orms and performed by Grammy Award Winner Patti Austin and her “Mentee”, Lianna Gutierrez, the foundation was formed to cultivate the “Art of Mentoring” or “Mentorology” through entertainment-driven products and events.
What We Do
REWARD
The Foundation collects mentoring stories and then they produce events that nominate, reward or pay tribute to great mentoring efforts. The productions are created to remind us all that… only creative minds can provide the answers to the many problems we face in this world.
ART OF MENTORING
To raise awareness of the impact of mentoring both cross-culturally and cross-generationally. Inspired by the lead song, “Over My Shoulder,” written by song-writer Dawn Carroll, Charlie Farren, Brynn Arens and Barry Orms and performed by Grammy Award Winner Patti Austin and her “Mentee”, Lianna Gutierrez, the foundation was formed to cultivate the “Art of Mentoring” or “Mentorology” through entertainment-driven products and events.
With Your Help, We are Making The World a Better Place
We believe music and the arts have the unique ability to deliver messages that aspire to fuel greater confidence, self-expression, self-esteem, and self-worth. Music & art is our universal language with the ability to arouse great retrospection – it does infiltrate borders with messages that otherwise go unheard
Over My Shoulder Foundation Story
Our Mission & Approach
OMSF produces events that we call Designing the Next Generation. OMSF has been a catalyst to spark great conversations among design professionals, educators and leaders who believe that mentoring efforts can solve many individual and social issues. We believe, Only creative minds, will be capable of finding solutions to the many problems we face in this world.
Through storytelling, we remind folks that mentoring knows no age; Whether older to younger or the other way around, Mentoring returns all to a place of hope; Without hope the world becomes a dangerous place.
Mentoring is the miracle that fosters creativity, can change lives, and move us all toward a society of greater inclusion, integrity and value
Without emotional support, without a positive influence in our lives, we can become lost, disconnected and unstable, as individuals and as a society.
Creative minds recognize “need” instantly and design with their genious, strategy to improve a spiritless space or situation.
The design world mentors spaces to be high -performing, rejuvenating and now with world pandemics, spaces that can provide essentials for both physical and emotional well being. Our modern lives must return to a certain level of simplicity and one thing COVID has done to influence our design thinking is the art of simplicity and our need to stop and smell the roses.
We call it MENTOROLOGY, the art and science of mentoring. We see mentoring as “RENT” for life.
Over My Shoulder Team
Dawn Carroll
Executive Director
Dawn Carroll has dedicated a large part of the past 10 years to starting Over My Shoulder Foundation (OMSF) and promoting the idea of Mentorology – the art and science of mentoring. In fact, her passion for Designing the Next Generation has driven Dawn to draw on all her resources to create the dynamic media-driven non-profit organization that exists to further the concept and application of mentoring.
Dawn has carved out OMSF’s niche in the mentoring world while managing an award-worthy design career at CUMAR Marble & Granite which is currently in its 8th generation of leadership in stone sourcing and fabrication in Everett, MA. Dawn writes, “What do you see that I can be” when considering the similarities of an empty room and an individual who needs a mentor in her article about “Designing the Next Generation”.
Patti Austin
Co-Founder
Grammy winner Patti Austin crosses all musical genres, has made 17 solo albums, and has performed her award-nominated hit songs on the GRAMMYS® and the Oscars. As a performer, songwriter and vocalist she has had a star-studded career that began at the age of four, making her one of the most beloved artists the world over and a mainstay on the Billboard Jazz Albums charts. She is Patti Austin, whose extraordinary career continues to cross over boundaries and reach new heights.
Because of how important mentoring has been to Patti throughout her life, she co-founded Over My Shoulder Foundation. Patti attributes much of her musical success to her mentors most notably the close guidance of her godparents Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington. Patti Austin is currently being mentored by Boston’s prestigious design community with Dawn’s expertise as her guiding light as she realizes one of her dreams of becoming an interior designer.
Barry Orms
Co-Founder
Barry is passionate about using the power of focus and insight to unlock the creative power of a person’s mind. He believes that we all need guides in order to reach the summits of our life’s journey. Hence the need for mentors to share their expertise, coaching, and wisdom.
Having been an NBA basketball player, Fortune 500 executive, independent music marketer, and startup investor, Barry understands what it means to make a difference at the highest levels. Throughout his own journey, Barry takes great pride in helping others develop into their own successful professional.
The healing and transformative power of music speaks to Barry… so much so that he is currently co-producing the new musical BonesBall. This connects with his desire to share and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. It is an opportunity to make the world a better place by shaping the next generation.
Alex Tran
Chief E-Commerce Officer
Alex has been with OMS since 2012. He oversees the organization’s product development, ecommerce, marketing services, and fulfillment systems.
He has a strong passion for teaching, mentoring, and inspiring others to grow into their best self. In addition to OMS, Alex is the founder and CEO of Quotes Jewelry by Quan®. Combining meaningful messaging with charming designs, he is able to utilize his award winning creativity to spread positivity through expressive jewelry.
For R&R, Alex enjoys long discourses on quantum mechanics especially as it relates to human consciousness. He also mentors people on the business of e-commerce and design.
Elizabeth Peñaranda
Chief Web Officer
Elizabeth leads the development of the online systems that connect the OMS community to the causes that teach, mentor, inspire and design the next generation of people who will make a difference in our world. Along with the team, Elizabeth strives to deliver a positive and consistent brand experience for OMS stakeholders using digital technologies.
In her personal life, Elizabeth spends time with her son as a single mom. She actively mentors her son and younger siblings so that they too may find their personal legend.
Rick Dyer
Advocate
Rick Dyer is a passionate advocate and committed mentor to those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. He has practiced law for 25 years in the areas of Criminal Defense, Juvenile/Child Welfare, Family Law, and Commutation and Parole, with special concentrations in addiction and sentencing mitigation. He believes that justice should be administered with compassion, integrity, and a deep understanding of its impact on the individual and community.
Larry Katz
Larry Katz went from playing music to writing about it. After graduating from the City College of New York and Manhattan School of Music, Larry played bass in rock, jazz and country bands as well as in symphony orchestras. After moving to Boston in 1979, he started writing about the arts. From 1981-2011, Larry worked as a critic, columnist and arts/features editor at the Boston Herald.
Give Today
$5
$10
$50
$250
$500
Other
Get In Touch
