Ventures - 20+ years of building businesses that matter

From digital agencies and creator platforms to nonprofits and youth sports, every venture is founded on real experience and a drive to solve real problems.

Founder

Built a creator platform generating ~$1M/year in its first year

I built Realms.tv to give creators more than a subscription page. The platform combines live event hosting, engagement tools, and community features into a single experience — and in its first year, it's generating nearly $1M in annual revenue with 25+ active creator realms.

The platform has hosted thousands of live streams including an Avenged Sevenfold album release party, Blue Angels coverage, band competitions, sporting events, and a continuing education conference with 5,000+ concurrent viewers.

Without Mike pushing my ideas into reality, supporting and encouraging users in the community, and building all the intricate technical aspects, Synner wouldn't be the experience it is today. I'm so stoked we get to partner on all of these incredible projects.

Brian Haner Jr., Owner, Synner

Co-Founder & President

Co-founded a 501(c)(3) uniting youth through sports, esports, and community

I co-founded Umoja.gg as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built on a simple belief: every young person deserves access to sports, community, and opportunity. The organization runs soccer camps, competitive tournaments, and Rocket League esports programs — reaching youth where they are, whether on the pitch or behind a screen.

Our events regularly bring together 50-100 kids each, and we've donated shoes, gear, and equipment to young athletes in need. Rockford FC Academy operates as a subsidiary, extending our mission into structured year-round youth development.

Founder & CEO

Built a digital agency from scratch to $2M+/year and 15+ employees

I founded Audentio in 2007 from a library computer as a teenager and grew it into a full-service digital agency with 15+ team members, 50+ clients, and over $2M in annual revenue. The agency served organizations ranging from early-stage startups to billion-dollar media companies like Ars Technica, IGN, and Yahoo Sports.

After nearly two decades of building the business, I sold Audentio to an investor. The agency continues to operate, a testament to the team, processes, and client relationships I built from the ground up.

Mike helped us reimagine our entire forum and article commenting system. He's smart and dedicated; his project management is detail-oriented and consistent. He interfaced with our in-house development and design expertise perfectly. He gets the job done!

Jason Marlin, Director of Technology, Ars Technica

President

Youth soccer academy developing 200+ players across 5 age groups

Rockford FC Academy is a youth soccer organization I lead as President under the Umoja nonprofit umbrella. The academy offers structured training programs across five distinct age groups and fields a competitive U23 adult team, creating a pathway from youth development to higher-level competition.

Beyond the organizational leadership, I'm hands-on — coaching, driving marketing and growth strategy, and providing operational resources to ensure every young athlete in Rockford has access to quality soccer development.

Founder

Built a digital marketplace to $3M+ in revenue and 50,000 sales

I founded ThemeHouse in 2012 and grew it from a handful of forum themes into a full-scale digital products marketplace serving WordPress, Shopify, and community platform users worldwide. The marketplace surpassed $3M in total revenue and 50,000 products sold.

I built the business end-to-end — product strategy, marketplace design, e-commerce infrastructure, licensing systems, and the customer experience that earned a reputation for quality and trust across the community platform ecosystem.

After trying many developers, often overpaying for out of the box work disguised as custom code, I found Mike. He took the time to understand my needs and how to put my vision together on the page. He gave me the refresh I was looking for while being proactive to my community needs.

Frank Galli, Owner, Snipers Hide

Founder

Talent & media studio offering representation, strategy, and production

Mythos is a talent and media studio I founded to bring together exceptional creative talent with the brands and audiences that need them. The studio operates across three pillars: representation, strategy, and production.

Already working with 10-20 creators across video, photography, and art, with active video production underway including brand videos for Umoja and Audentio.

Mike has been the indispensable authority on community platform customization for more than 3 years. I've leaned on his wisdom, the brilliance of elegant solutions he presents, and the clever — often critical — features he creates. I actively and strongly recommend him to any community management professional.

Joe PishgarDirector of Community, Future PLC

Trusted by teams and founders across industries

  • Rivals
  • World Star
  • Scout
  • Ars Technica
  • Paradox Interactive
  • Eastwood
  • IGN
  • UIC

Let's work together

Location

  • Rockford, IL
    Greater Chicago Area
    Illinois, United States