Here’s Why Platinum Equity and Tom Gores Sponsor the JRLA Celebrity Golf Classic

DEARBORN, Mich. – When Messiah Bethel talks about the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, he doesn’t begin with academics.

He starts with family.

Bethel, who will attend Michigan State University in the fall, describes a place where older students mentor younger classmates and teachers offer life advice as readily as classroom instruction.

Those daily connections, he says, are one reason why the Detroit-based public charter school needs philanthropic support.

“The school just builds connections with everybody,” said Bethel, who graduated from JRLA in the spring and earned a $10,000 scholarship from Platinum Equity. “Most of the classes have underclassmen and upperclassmen so it’s like a family-orientated school.

“They’re able to guide us and push us in the right direction, whether it’s through teaching or just through a conversation. With that and having the staff close with you every day shows how much love the school has for people and how much this school is needed to help support Detroit.”

Stories like Bethel’s and other JRLA scholars are at the heart of why Platinum Equity Founder and CEO Tom Gores, his wife, Holly, and the firm recently continued their roles as presenting sponsors for the annual JRLA Celebrity Golf Classic for the 13th consecutive year.

Held at the TPC Michigan in Dearborn, which is located due west from Detroit, the event attracted celebrities like Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson, boxing great Thomas Hearns and others who gathered to support the school Rose founded in September 2011.

They were joined by 20 Platinum Equity professionals who either played or were on hand for support.  Influenced by Gores’ commitment to make an impact in the community, and his personal relationship with Rose, the firm also supports a mentorship program that was first introduced in 2022. The mentorship program has grown to include scholarships. Bethel – along with JRLA seniors Aniya Davis, Rodney Steele, Dhakiyah Ali and Tony Crawford – earned one of the scholarships.

“Jalen’s been a great partner,” Platinum Equity Principal Dan Whelan said. “The school is making a tangible difference in the lives of kids and their families in Detroit. Tom, Holly and Platinum Equity are just really proud to be part of it.

“It makes you feel good to work for a place that does good things. The JRLA relationship allows us to do good while working hard and helps our employees feel like they’re making an impact.”

JRLA operates on a “9–16” model, supporting students beyond high school graduation by offering support through college completion. A dedicated Postsecondary Success Team provides alumni tracking, advice, scholarship support and other services.

The school currently reports a 95% graduation rate (well above the state average), a 100% college and postsecondary acceptance rate and a 90% daily attendance rate. Approximately 69–72% of graduates matriculate to college within one year, compared to roughly 64–67% statewide.

In 2023, Platinum Equity the Detroit Pistons helped to facilitate discussions between the JRLA board and Henry Ford Health that ultimately led to Henry Ford’s donation of a former hospital site where the school will develop a new high school, expected to open for the start of the 2027-28 school year. The current JRLA campus will be converted into a middle school, allowing the academy to double its total enrollment to approximately 800 students. JRLA is in the process of raising $20 million to convert the site with Tom and Holly’s earlier $1 million in 2021 being applied to those efforts.

“The new facility is going to be great for young people in our city,” Rose said. “It’s going to allow us to influence more young people, hire more staff. It’s going to really be a game changer.

“I’m forever grateful to Tom, Holly, the entire Platinum family.”