Michael is a serial entrepreneur and prolific inventor with over 200 patents granted and/or pending. He has founded eight medical products companies, one agricultural company, and one musical products company, with the startups he has been involved in collectively raising $400 million in capital. Four of those companies have generated combined exits exceeding $1.5 billion, two more are actively commercializing products, and both the musical and agricultural ventures have seen successful outcomes as well.

Prior to his entrepreneurial career, Michael taught and conducted research at the University of Minnesota Medical School, the College of Engineering Sciences, and the Carlson School of Management, and also served on the faculty of the School of Biological Sciences at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He additionally served as Executive Chairman of a financial institution, which he helped grow from $150 million to more than $2.5 billion in assets.