A high-energy and passionate speaker, Michael has spoken at more than 500 global gatherings, providing audiences with remarkable insights into consumer and business lifestyles, social media, technology and digital marketing trends.
An adjunct professor of innovation at the University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley, Michael is an expert on disruptions that reinvent markets. His trademark motto is, “I help you catch the next wave before it catches you.”
His audiences are taken on a spellbinding, roller-coaster ride through the “landscape of now,” while Michael reveals how massive waves he calls “ubertrends” are reshaping society.
His incisive talks showcase innovative brands, products and services that leverage ubertrends to alter the competitive landscape.
A catalyst, Michael inspires and motivates attendees by challenging their creativity and inventiveness. His informative yet entertaining style fuses the emotional and rational brain to help foster a new culture of innovation.
His ability to decode the future, lead the U.K.’s The Daily Telegraph to label Michael “America’s most influential trendspotter.” He has appeared in numerous publications and television shows, including Access Hollywood, Ad Age, Bloomberg TV, BusinessWeek, CNET, CNN, The Independent (U.K.), The New York Times, PBS, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury-News, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and Wired.
Michael studied economics at Fordham University in the Bronx. He completed his high school education at Colegio Arubano in Aruba where he graduated at the top of his class. His career began at some of Madison Avenue’s most creative ad agencies, including DDB and Chiat/Day. As founder of five start-ups, notably MacWEEK and ICONOCAST, Michael helped pioneer such sweeping shifts as desktop publishing, CRM, internet research and online marketing.
Michael is the founder of ubercool INNOVATION, an incubator that helps companies shapeshift market sectors by leveraging next-generation technologies and user experiences. He’s the author of Trendscape 2004 and Social Engagement Marketing and is currently working on his third book, Ubertrends – How Trends and Innovation Are Transforming Our Future.
