Jonathan (LSA '90) and Lisa Zirin are dedicated supporters of Michigan Athletics who value the commitment and welfare of our student athletes. With their generous donations, they were instrumental in starting the first student-athlete development online portal (2012) and establishing the Zirin Family Career Venture (2017). Jon and Lisa's philanthropy has assisted in shaping our student athletes holistically and will continue to positively impact future Wolverines for years to come.
Tell us a little about yourselves and where you're from.
I was born and raised in the suburbs north of Chicago. I headed to Ann Arbor to attend Michigan with about 28 other students from my high school, but I had a unique introduction to Michigan, because I ended up going to summer term before the start of my first year. We all lived in West Quad, and it was a great introduction to the school. My first experience meeting some of the student-athletes was in my Freshmen English class, and I remember thinking about my experiences versus the experiences they were having and how committed they were to everything they did, in addition to their studies.
I would say my friends and family would describe me as enthusiastic, a good listener, and that I tend to offer quite a bit of advice. My personal career path has been interesting because I started off in the sports and entertainment business for the first 18 years after graduation, and ended up in a family owned business for the past 12 years.
What are you most passionate about?My family is the most important, no matter what. I was fortunate to grow up in a close-knit family with amazing parents. They were, and still are, my ultimate role models. I am extremely passionate about setting a great example for my kids.
Lisa and I both believe that our two children should understand how important it is to give back through a variety of different avenues - whether it is volunteer work in our own community, supporting various charitable causes around the world, or offering guidance as mentors- we feel very strongly about this being a priority in the lives of our family.
What is your first memory of Michigan Athletics?Growing up, my best friend lived across the street, and his parents were both U of M alums. They got me cheering for the Maize and Blue from the age of 4 or 5. My parents are both from Ohio, and neither of them went to that "other place" but we used to go to Cleveland all the time to see my grandparents. I don't know if it was partially because I didn't like the road trips, but I very quickly became a Michigan fan.
My older brother is also a UM alum. When he went to Michigan, I think that really solidified my love for both the school and for Ann Arbor. Honestly, even though I applied to other schools, I don't really think that there was ever a chance that I was going anywhere else.
What made you give your first gift to Michigan Athletics?Almost all of my favorite memories from my time at Michigan include being with my closest friends, and many of those moments were centered around sports. As a UM student I didn't realize the amount of time, effort and ultimately the commitment it takes to be an athlete at level that our Student
Athletes compete at Michigan. For the student-athletes, being a member of a team is like having a 40-50 hour a week job in addition to being a student. We wanted to give back and offer some guidance and support, because when you're a student-athlete there isn't time to have the experiences that the rest of us had--especially when it comes to career and post UM planning - and that's important to me, and Lisa.
There was a specific point when we were deciding what we wanted to do from a support standpoint, and I read an article about a Michigan football player who was an undrafted free agent, did not make it in the NFL just like 99.5% of players. He was struggling because he just wasn't prepared for the future and didn't know where to turn, I just don't think he had the proper support. We don't ever want anyone left out there without direction or assistance once the stands are empty and the stadium lights go off. Being in the staffing business, I have a unique perspective on the employment journey, what people need, what companies are looking for and how to present yourself, and we thought it was a perfect fit.
How does your philanthropy reflect your values?We support causes that we feel strongly about. My passion for Michigan is a driving force for what we do for the University, and our philanthropy at UM really centers around preparation for the future from an educational and career planning standpoint. We also support many charities involved in medical research, and have always taken a huge interest in organizations that offer support and research for pediatric causes. Breast cancer has impacted our family, and that is another area that is important for us to support.
What has been most rewarding from your involvement with Michigan?There's no question that last year when we were able to welcome "Zirin Career Venture Team 1" into our home and sit with these amazing student-athletes, hear their stories, and be able to offer life and career advice as somebody outside of a career counselor or a family member- that was super rewarding. Just an amazing group of kids. We became involved to support everybody in athletics, and the cross-selection of athletes that we had on that first trip was amazing. Their favorite thing, in addition to this experience, was getting to spend time with each other. Since then, there have been continuing conversations, phone calls and emails with a number of student-athletes on the trip. It really is the "Michigan Difference," we're all a part of the extended UM family forever.
What is your favorite “Michigan Memory?”One of my favorite memories was actually freshman year, first football game of the season - Notre Dame in the fall of '86. It was an away game, and we were all in the student lounge in Markley around a TV watching the game. The camaraderie and excitement really stands out to me.
Interestingly enough, the other memory that stands out is at the opposite end of my time in Ann Arbor - May 1990 LSA Graduation. Our graduation was held in Crisler, and the speaker was film writer, Lawrence Kasden. The speech was incredible, and impactful and my friends and II still refer back to it often. He told us "our good friends from college may be the best friends you ever have. Guard those relationships like gold, work hard to maintain them. When they have a wedding, go across the country to be there. When one of them gets sloppy about keeping in touch, keep trying. And when one of them needs your help, cross the globe to give it to them. If you do that, if you work hard, your friends will become a precious touchstone in your life; there aren't many things more valuable."
What do you wish other people knew about Michigan Athletics?I wish people knew the number of student-athletes and programs that Michigan has. I wish people were more aware of the 900+ student-athletes, only a small percentage of student-athletes end up in a career as a professional athlete. To me, that is why the Michigan Athletics Career Center is so important. I don't think that there's another athletic program in the country that's doing as much for their athletes to prepare them for their future as Michigan is. To me, that is the "Michigan Difference".
What would you tell someone who is thinking about giving to Michigan Athletics?I would try to help them understand that their gift has an unbelievable impact. The ability to support and usher a student athlete through a university like Michigan, and offer them that opportunity is life-altering. It's about the lasting impact we're having on these young people's lives.
Tell me about the kind of legacy you would like to leave.
Lisa, Josh, Lily and I we want to help build the future generations of amazing and successful Michigan graduates. We hope our University of Michigan legacy would be as a family who wanted to make sure that when the student-athletes stepped off the field or court for the final time, they were prepared for what was on the other side. We want these students to know that there was someone to help guide them down their post Michigan path; that would be an amazing legacy.
