“Michael is one of those rare design leaders who are both exceptional designers AND skilled people managers. He built Reforge's design systems from the ground up, then recruited and guided more than a dozen of us through the constant change that is part of working in tech startups. As one of his direct reports for 2.5 years, I experienced significant growth as a designer thanks to his generous mentorship. He took the time to learn about my strengths and interests, helped match those with important business priorities, and then trusted me to run each project independently. But perhaps most importantly, he's one of those managers who genuinely care about you as a person.”
— Idit Knaan
“Michael is the definition of a player-coach, the kind of leader that designers dream of. He advocates wholeheartedly for every individual, while still supporting and challenging the team as a whole. He lets us take on new challenges with independence, but is always willing to get into the weeds when we ask for it. I can’t count the number of times I went to him with an “I’ve hit a wall” problem, and he came up with a solution that unlocked my work instantly. The bottom line: in the three years he’s managed me, I’ve felt trusted, heard, and inspired.”
— Brandon Powell
“I reported directly to Michael for two years at Reforge and can honestly say he was one of the best managers (and mentors) that I’ve ever had. Michael had a knack for giving constructive, actionable feedback that took me from a fledgling designer to a confident one. He also established the strongest (and, based on employee satisfaction surveys, most content) team at Reforge. I’m so grateful for both the technical skills and the interpersonal ones that I gained while working with Michael!”