Written by Tom Kelly
Michael is the Sustainability GTM Strategy Director at Microsoft working with Partner ISV strategy with the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability. He started his career at Intel as an environmental engineer managing hazardous chemicals and wastewater after graduating with a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona. A circular economy project on manufacturing plastics inspired his to transition his career to supply chain after getting an MBA from ASU. He eventually joined the Supply Chain Sustainability org to combat forced labor, source conflict free minerals, manage hazardous chemicals, and drive suppliers towards environmental sustainability.
How did you hear about Venture Café?
Attended the Electrify Phoenix with Arizona Forward back in 2022
Have you had any memorable connections at Venture Café Phoenix? If so, please tell us how you met them, who they are and how they have impacted you and your organization?
Meeting Forbes has been a pleasure! He’s the MC for Venture Cafe Phoenix and his energy and ability to connect with people is one for the books. I’m thankful to Kurt who connected with the organization and events.
What inspires you?
It’s inspiring to see the passion and drive from founders who want to do good for the world, especially for sustainability. It’s a good reminder in the midst of the day-to-days of corporate life.
Tell us a little more about your current role with your organization and how it has impacted the start-up ecosystem here in the greater Phoenix region.
As the Sustainability GTM Strategy Director, I work with startups and partner ISVs on Azure to do joint go-to-market and meet our customer needs! Recently, we had an ESG Reporting solution for small & medium enterprise migrate to Azure to provide this market segment a user-friendly, API-driven experience to calculate carbon emissions. Looking forward to learning more about other Azure-based solutions, feel free to reach out!
Can you discuss your experience at Venture Café Phoenix and any impact the event has had on your organization?
It’s great to meet and network with a new community! Coming from a career of large tech corporations in the area, it’s incredible to see the startup environment here in Phoenix! I learn from this organization, as there’s always something new happening in AI, smart tech, and renewable energies.
Most Impactful Book?
It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
Anything you want to share?
Here are useful resources from Microsoft for Startups & Founders: