About

Who we are, in plain sentences

Three charities, one mission, and a board of people who would rather build something that lasts than something that trends.

The family of Odysseus organizations

Three charities, one mission

Two of every three dollars the Network raises goes to the houses and the people in them. The rest builds the teaching that travels beyond any single campus.

Odysseus Network is organized as a Type II supporting organization of Odysseus Foundation and Odysseus Lyceum: one board, three charities, and documented grants from the first to the other two. Recognition of that status, like the Network’s exemption, is pending with the IRS.

How it is governed

Odysseus Network: Raises and stewards the resources behind the work: the houses, the dinners, the retreats, the mentors, the teaching. It holds them for the long term, and it is organized as a Type II supporting organization of the two charities below.
Odysseus Foundation: Runs the campus communities: the houses near campus, the host families, the weekly table, and the retreats.
Odysseus Lyceum: Teaches live online classes to students ages 5 to 18, trains and pays the instructors, and writes the curriculum read around every Odysseus table.

Launching first in North Carolina, and growing

We would rather open one house well than announce ten. Each new campus begins the same way: a family willing to open their home, a house we mean to own outright, and a table set for whoever comes on Thursday.

Board of Directors

At the helm

A working board. Four directors who do the work, and who govern the Network, the Foundation and the Lyceum alike.

Danny Budasoff
President and Director
Tech entrepreneur, angel investor, and tax attorney. He earned his B.A. from Wake Forest University, his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University.
Caleb Johnson
Vice President and Director
Litigator at DLA Piper LLP (US) in Delaware’s federal and state courts. He earned his B.A. from Campbell University and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Christine Budasoff
Treasurer and Director
Associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. She earned her B.A. from Wake Forest University and her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Adam Griffin
Secretary and Director
Trial attorney who litigates to protect civil rights under federal law and the Constitution. He earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Advisory Committee

Scholars and educators who advise the board

Five scholars and educators who advise the board on programs, curriculum, and governance.

Samuel Abrams
Academic and Higher Education Subcommittee
Nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and professor of politics and social science at Sarah Lawrence College. He earned his B.A. from Stanford University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Mark Bauerlein
Academic and Higher Education Subcommittee
Emeritus Professor of English at Emory University, an editor at First Things, and author of “The Dumbest Generation.” He earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
John Ellis
Academic and Higher Education Subcommittee
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of German Literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and author of “The Breakdown of Higher Education.” He earned his B.A. and Ph.D. from London University.
Thomas Lindsay
Academic and Higher Education Subcommittee
Higher Education Policy Director for Next Generation Texas, after two decades as a dean, provost, and college president. He earned his B.A. from Northern Illinois University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.
Steven McGuire
Academic and Higher Education Subcommittee
Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, formerly of Villanova University. He earned his B.A. from the University of Lethbridge, his M.A. from the University of Saskatchewan, and his Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America.