Michael is the co-founder and CEO of Pearl Health, focused on empowering physicians and providers to lead our healthcare system to better and more human outcomes. He served as an early employee and Vice President at Oscar Health Insurance running their largest P&L (+$3 billion) and building their network contracting and early sales systems.
Prior to Oscar, Michael worked for Bridgewater Associates as a manager in the company’s Research, Client Service, and Recruiting departments. While at Bridgewater, he was responsible for 60 investors, managers, and staff reporting to the CEO of the company.
In 2009 he successfully sold DormAid, a college service company, which he launched and ran while he was a student at Harvard and Columbia Business School. Michael has appeared in major media outlets including Fox News, The New York Times, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Wired, and MSNBC.
Michael is the recipient of Columbia’s Feldberg Fellowship, a full tuition merit scholarship in honor of former Dean Feldberg. His mentor of over 15 years is George David, Chairman of Raytheon Technologies. He enjoys reading, exercising, meditation, and meeting interesting people. He is a graduate of Columbia Business School and Harvard College.
What causes are you most passionate about?
Education has been an overriding passion of mine. Not only has it profoundly changed my life and my opportunities set, network, and friends but it continues to drive me to improve everyday. In that same way I believe one of the best things we can do for the next generation and the less fortunate is to provide them with the tools and encouragement to learn and pursue self improvement.
If you could make one improvement in the world what would it be?
I would encourage us to seek understanding and perspective instead of moving into opinions. I feel we come to conclusions too quickly without adequate openness to alternative views and methods. This would enable a more learning oriented vs opinion driven populous and would help us tackle hard issues calmly and collaboratively.
What ideas or efforts do you think will or have changed the world the most?
The separation of church from the state and then the creation of free enterprise with distinct rights within states has led to the greatest velocity of human progress and growth. There is no better time than today to be a creator, builder, entrepreneur, leader, and philanthropist.
