Christopher Michel — CEO
Christopher Michel is a photographer, explorer, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on the people pushing the boundaries of science, exploration, and human knowledge. After serving as a Naval Flight Officer in the U.S. Navy flying the P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, Chris earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and went on to found several early internet companies. He founded Military.com, one of the first large online communities for members of the U.S. military and their families, and later founded Affinity Labs, which built professional online communities. Both companies had successful outcomes. Chris has helped launch and build multiple technology ventures and has been an active angel investor and advisor to early-stage companies. His entrepreneurial journey is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study, and he is one of the entrepreneurs profiled in The Intelligent Entrepreneur by Bill Murphy. He has served on numerous nonprofit and corporate boards, including the USO, the USS Arizona Memorial Foundation, the United States Navy Memorial Foundation, the Marine Corps University Foundation, the U.S. Naval Institute, Castlight Health, IDG, EZBoard, and Dale Carnegie. Today, Chris works primarily as a photographer and storyteller documenting scientists, explorers, and innovators. He serves as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, where he is creating a long-term portrait project highlighting many of the world’s leading scientists. He is also the Artist-in-Residence at The Long Now Foundation, an organization dedicated to long-term thinking and civilization-scale projects. His photographs have reached millions of people, appearing in magazines, books, album covers, and even the screens people glance at each morning. Chris is a Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and a member of the Explorers Club. He serves on the board of CatchLight and advises the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is also an adventure guide with Natural World Safaris and teaches photography through the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. He is currently working on Polar, a book with travel writer Pico Iyer exploring the landscapes, science, and human stories of the polar regions, alongside ongoing photographic work documenting scientists, explorers, and extreme environments around the world.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a versatile entrepreneur and photographer with deep expertise in nonprofit and technology sectors.
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Experience: 34 yrs 8 mos
Skills
- Fine Art Photography
- Entrepreneurship
- Storytelling
- Angel Investing
Career Highlights
- Founder of Military.com, a pioneering online community.
- Artist-in-Residence at National Academies of Sciences.
- Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
Work Experience
The Long Now Foundation
Artist-in-Residence (1 yr)
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Artist-in-Residence (5 yrs 2 mos)
Advisor to the Climate Communications Initiative (5 yrs 1 mo)
Adventure Scientists
Advisor (8 yrs 2 mos)
Union of Concerned Scientists
National Advisory Board Member (10 yrs 1 mo)
CatchLight
Board Member (11 yrs 4 mos)
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
President's Circle (3 yrs 6 mos)
Tugboat Yards Inc.
Board Member (2 yrs 1 mo)
Ne Timeas Restaurant Group
Advisor (13 yrs 3 mos)
3D Robotics
Board Member (5 yrs 10 mos)
The Center for Investigative Reporting
Advisor (11 yrs 1 mo)
Harvard Business School
Entrepreneur in Residence (11 mos)
Kixeye
Board Member (9 yrs 2 mos)
Oxford Internet Institute
Advisor (4 yrs 7 mos)
Castlight Health
Board Member (5 yrs 1 mo)
International Data Group (IDG)
Board Member (5 yrs 5 mos)
Christopher Michel Photography
Photographer (17 yrs 7 mos)
Nautilus Ventures
Managing Director (17 yrs 8 mos)
Dale Carnegie
Board Member (15 yrs)
USO
Governor (Board of Directors) (4 yrs 8 mos)
Affinity Labs
Founder & CEO (2 yrs 2 mos)
US Naval Institute
Board Member (6 yrs 1 mo)
The United States Navy Memorial
Board Member (3 yrs)
USS Arizona Memorial Fund
Trustee (2 yrs)
Military.com
Founder & CEO (9 yrs 1 mo)
Mercer Management Consulting
Associate (1 yr)
United States Navy
Naval Flight Officer (LCDR, USN) (6 yrs 10 mos)
Education
MBA at Harvard Business School
BA at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign