Who Am I?
Mike :)
About me
Hi, I'm Mike. I'm American living in France for the past 9 years. Before that I spent a few years living in Germany and Kenya, so it's been a while since I've lived in the States. In my spare time I love to travel, ski, and kitesurf. During Covid I became a nomad and while technically still based in France, I gave up my apartment and started bouncing around the world. I've visited over 70 countries. The beach and the mountains make me happy.
Previous work
2003-2010: Research in Evolutionary Psych & Development Economics
I started my career in academia, doing research in economics, psychology, and development. While an undergrad I worked doing research in evolutionary psychology (mostly with monkeys, non-invasive, sometimes in the wild). After graduating I did research in economic development - working on a project assessing the impact of microfinance in morocco and collecting and analyzing global microfinance pricing with the nonprofit microfinance transparency.
2010-2015: Strategy Consulting in US, EU, and E. Africa
I then became a strategy consultant, first in the US and Germany (working for big biotechs). That was soul crushing, so I moved half way around the world to help launch a consultancy based in Kenya called Open Capital Advisors. We helped companies in East Africa to develop growth strategies and raise capital to fund that growth.
2015-2023: Product Development & Ecommerce in EU
I then got an MBA in Europe and changed career tracks to work in product development. I've worked as a Product Manager for Amazon and Shopify in France for the past 8 years, mostly localizing e-commerce products for European markets. More recently while at Shopify I worked on Shopify Shipping, their global Shipping product. However, I never really had a burning passion for selling things online. So when I was part of a large layoff last year, I decided to use the break (and the generous unemployment in France) to pursue projects I really love. This is what led me to the Fab Academy.
What's Next?
At Fab Academy (and beyond), I want to use technology to explore and expand consciousness. To me this means building things that: add to our sensory experience, create new senses, augment reality (overlaying digital information onto our real-world experience), and aid mindfulness.
Nonprofit work
My family recently launched a nonprofit: Live Like Chris. It's in memory of my younger brother Christhopher who we lost suddenly in 2023. We want to help others to live as he did: with humility, curiousity, and a spirit of service. If you have the means, we'd greatly appreciate a donation.