Emil Michael

What is it like to be on the ground floor of technologies transforming the world—and now helping shape the future of national security? How do you run organizations that must innovate at startup speed while operating at global scale? How do you avoid the “innovator’s dilemma” once your company has changed from the insurgent to the establishment? How can you ensure that you are not growing faster than the systems and structures needed for long-term success? How do you turn a $300 million deal into an $800 million one—in a single weekend with Microsoft’s CEO? What’s on the horizon in artificial intelligence, defense technology, investment, and innovation?

Ask Emil Michael, one of Silicon Valley’s most accomplished entrepreneurs and investors, former Chief Business Officer at Uber, and current Under Secretary for Research and Engineering and Chief Technology Officer for the Department of War. You won’t just get illuminating answers and insights. You’ll hear unforgettable stories about negotiating in China, the “frontier entrepreneurism” of introducing Uber around the world, creating product love, building and scaling transformative organizations, and Emil’s own secrets of successful deal-making and leadership.

More About Emil Michael

Emil Michael currently serves as Under Secretary for Research and Engineering (USW(R&E)) and Chief Technology Officer for the Department of War, where he leads efforts to ensure U.S. military technological superiority and accelerate innovation across the defense enterprise. In this role, he oversees the Department’s research, development, and prototyping activities and provides strategic direction for organizations including DARPA and the Missile Defense Agency. Drawing on decades of experience identifying and scaling transformative technologies, Michael is focused on accelerating the transition of breakthrough innovations from concept to operational capability.

Michael is one of technology’s most highly regarded business executives, having helped build several successful companies, including Tellme Networks (sold to Microsoft in 2007 for $800 million), Klout (sold to Lithium Technologies in 2014 for approximately $200 million), and Uber. He was named one of Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” and is widely recognized as one of Silicon Valley’s leading operators and investors. He is a contributor to Forbes and a frequent guest on CNBC’s TechCheck and other national and global media outlets and podcasts.

Prior to his appointment as Under Secretary, Michael served as Chairman and CEO of DPCM Capital and held leadership, advisory, board, and investment roles across a number of innovative technology companies.

From 2013–2017, Michael was Chief Business Officer at Uber. His tenure was marked by the company’s explosive rise from a valuation of $350 million to $70 billion, expansion from 50 to more than 1,000 cities across 70 countries, and growth from approximately 200 employees to more than 15,000. Michael led the company’s efforts in China and incubated its business-to-business offering, Uber for Business. He played a pivotal role in raising nearly $15 billion in capital from investors globally, the most raised by any private startup in history. Michael also led the merger of Uber’s China operations with key competitor Didi Chuxing. He established international partnerships with companies including American Express, AT&T, Daimler, Tata Motors, and Toyota. Michael facilitated several critical acquisitions that became the foundation of Uber’s Advanced Technology Group and autonomous vehicle program. He also created UberMilitary, a program aimed at providing economic opportunities for active-duty military members, veterans, and military families.

Prior to Uber, Michael served as Chief Operating Officer of Klout, where he played a crucial role in scaling the social media analytics company through its acquisition by Lithium Technologies in 2014.

Before joining Klout, Michael served as a White House Fellow working as a Special Assistant to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. He managed projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan and implemented a department-wide reform effort aimed at increasing efficiency, reducing overhead, and streamlining bureaucracy. His contributions earned him the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Public Service.

Michael was also part of the early team at Tellme Networks, a pioneer in speech-recognition technology that successfully weathered the technology downturn of the early 2000s while building a sustainable and profitable business. He helped Tellme Networks raise more than $250 million in venture capital and played a key role in its sale to Microsoft in 2007 for nearly $800 million. Tellme’s technology became foundational to Microsoft’s voice-recognition systems.

Born in Egypt, Michael’s family immigrated to the United States when he was an infant, seeking greater opportunity and freedom. He credits his immigrant experience and the relentless drive it fostered as integral to his success as an entrepreneur, investor, and public servant.

Throughout his career, Michael has served as a leadership coach and mentor to dozens of CEOs, giving him extensive exposure to emerging companies, technologies, and trends. He has also advised and invested in more than 50 startups around the world, furthering his commitment to helping the next generation of entrepreneurs build, scale, and reach their potential.

Michael began his career at Goldman Sachs, where he was an Associate in the Investment Banking Division from 1998 to 1999.

He received his B.A. from Harvard University and his J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Michael is an avid supporter of the Innocence Project and has supported a number of organizations focused on innovation, design, entrepreneurship, and social impact throughout his career.