CTO’s Bio
Mike Garsin Co-Founder, CTO
Not many people can say that their secret childhood passion was software engineering. Yet Mike happily shares how at age 12, in between hockey practice and adventures with friends in the suburbs of Chicago, he taught himself programming. Despite his parents’ ridicule of his seemingly fruitless hobby, Mike, with the sole support of his grandmother, believed that little could top the opportunity to create anything you could dream of by basically telling the computer what to do.
This optimistic, entrepreneurial, and creative mindset followed him to the University of Rochester, where he earned a BA in economics and a management certificate specializing in finance and accounting. His economics’ focus combined with his childhood passion led him to become an IT Manager and Business Intelligence Architect at the University. While still in his undergraduate studies he became a founding partner of Island Media Group (NL) and helped secure the capital for IMG’s first acquisition, Overseas Jobs Express (UK) (previously the world’s largest international job publication). As acting CIO, he led the effort to establish a new web identity for the company eventually turning it into a one-stop shop for any activity related to international job search.
In May 2007, when the Facebook API was launched, Mike immediately began working with the platform and quickly saw the opportunities available with social media. With his fresh and fun mentality and extensive experience, Mike co-founded Brand Networks, where he focuses on understanding software developments and new technologies in order to create innovative solutions for clients’ problems.
Mike now has over ten years of experience architecting and managing the implementation of technological solutions for companies such as Starbucks, Monster, Warner Bros., Puma, Dos Equis, Turner, and Lucent Technology. When he is not busy tweaking out his latest code or keeping his co-workers hyped-up with witty jokes, you will find him spending time with his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Lauren. His hobbies include golfing, snowboarding, windsurfing, scuba diving, marine aquaria, and of course, programming.
