Mike is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area where he got his BA in International Studies at the University of San Francisco. His love of travel and other cultures sparked his interest in documentary storytelling as he neared the end of his undergraduate career. He spent a few years after graduation working in the media industry in San Francisco, as well as traveling to Colombia and Kenya where he helped make two documentary films. He later returned to Colombia where he lived for a year teaching English and becoming fluent in Spanish. His passion for documentary filmmaking then led him to American University's graduate program in Film and Electronic Media where he’s currently pursuing my MFA degree. He believes in the power of socially and environmentally-minded filmmaking that tell stories that persuade people to take care of each other and the planet. He is currently developing his thesis film idea which will hopefully help bring to light the amazing talent in Washington, DC's burgeoning food and restaurant scene.