Meet Brendan Michaelsen | Co-founder & CTO of Our Wave

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brendan Michaelsen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brendan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In the fall of 2018, I sat down with my friend and colleague Kyle Linton to chat. We had been working together for several years on an AI-powered smoking cessation startup, and so spent the first part of the meeting discussing the next steps in our launch plan. Soon, though, our conversation turned to a radically different topic altogether: sexual violence. A close mutual friend of ours had had a traumatic experience a few weeks before, and we were still desperate to find ways to support them. During this time, the #metoo movement was sweeping the nation. As a side effect, the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN) was inundated with people calling to talk about their experiences with sexual violence. There were articles being written about RAINN not having enough resources to handle this influx. Survivors were taking to social media to bravely share their experiences, with no direct resources to help in the healing process and often in the face of vitriol. Kyle and I were determined that there was a more effective, digital way to offer a safe place for survivors. So much was being done with distributed, scalable technology, but it was absent in a space where people really needed it.

As work on the project began, our passion and dedication only grew stronger. We were constantly reminded of the importance of our mission – to create a safe and supportive online community for survivors of sexual violence. We knew that this platform could make a real difference in the lives of so many individuals who have experienced trauma. We faced challenges along the way, as any startup does, but we never lost sight of our goal. With each obstacle, we found creative solutions and pushed forward with determination. And eventually, all of our hard work paid off when we launched Our Wave to the public. Since then, we have seen an incredible response from survivors all over the world. They have shared their stories, connected with one another for support and healing, and utilized resources on our platform to aid in their recovery journey. It has been incredibly rewarding to see how much impact Our Wave has already made in such a short amount of time. In the four years since launch we have grown the platform to more than 25,000 users, 200,000+ individual community impressions, created partnerships with five international white label partners, and rapidly expanded the features and functionalities of the platform.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an entrepreneur, engineer, and founder focused on bringing rad SaaS startups to market. At heart, I am a builder and tinkerer, and a passionate believer in product and team as the core pillars of a successful venture. I have been an advisor to more than a dozen organizations and acted in a consulting capacity with dozens of startups and technology companies across the consumer, healthcare, human insights, productivity, and education markets. I believe in minimal delightful products over minimal viable products, and I like to spend my time on projects that are actively making the world a better place.

My career started all the way back when I was an engineering student at Purdue University. I co-founded my first startup, PearCircuit, with a team of fellow entrepreneurs in our dorm room during my freshman year and led it successfully for more than seven years. Along the way, we consulted and developed software for startup clients, large organizations, and nonprofits. We faced new challenges such as adapting to changing market trends and technology advancements. But through it all, we remained committed to providing our clients with top-notch service and innovative solutions. One of the most rewarding aspects of being a business owner has been the opportunity to build a strong team of talented individuals. I have had the privilege of working with some incredibly smart and driven individuals who have helped take our company to new heights. Of course, there have also been moments of doubt and uncertainty – times when we questioned if we were making the right decisions or taking on too much risk. But these moments only served to strengthen my determination and drive us towards success. We developed and spun off a product company, Liven, to a large investment group in the Midwest, and I split my leadership efforts between both organizations. After many years of growth, PearCircuit was acquired by an Indianapolis-based tech company in 2019.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Great question. My wife and I are big foodies, and both Raleigh and Durham have a lot to offer. We can’t have a friend in town without taking them to O-Ku Sushi in Raleigh’s warehouse district. This is probably our favorite restaurant in the triangle. The food is artisan prepared and the drinks are top notch. Coming in a close second for me personally is Oak Steakhouse right next door. Two culinary powerhouses on Hargett street. We are also big on rooftop bars. You can take a nice walk from O-Ku to the Willard, a rooftop cocktail bar on Glenwood Avenue. It’s hard to beat the unobstructed panoramic view of downtown Raleigh, especially in the glow of the evening. In Durham, we love both the Unscripted hotel rooftop and The Durham Hotel rooftop for great views of DPAC and Tobacco Campus. While in Durham, we love to visit M Kokko on Holland Street. Amazing Korean and Japanese dishes in a super intimate space. It only has 20 seat available, so the line forms pretty quickly.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my best friend and incredible wife, Catherina Gomes. Cathy is one of the original founders of Our Wave and lent her skill at fostering meaningful partnerships and tireless effort to getting the first version of the platform off the ground. Along with her work on Our Wave, Cathy is the founder and CEO of 700 Rivers, a global, ethical, and sustainable lifestyle brand based in Raleigh. 700 Rivers creates high-quality, eco-friendly soaps, candles, and bath products that employ women across the world who are guaranteed fair, living wages for their work, a safe work environment, and are treated with dignity and respect. Cathy currently works with 22 women in Bangladesh who have escaped and overcome human trafficking to handcraft 700 Rivers’ natural soap bars. Through this work, Cathy is able to fund mental health counseling for these women, living wages to support their families, and educational opportunities for their children in Bangladesh.

Cathy herself is a child of Bangladeshi immigrants, who came to America before she was born. Growing up in this country, her family was able to achieve the American dream – providing enough for herself and her sisters to get a great education and find success in their careers. This is particularly significant to their family because in Bangladesh, women are not considered equal and their educations and careers are not prioritized as they are for men.

Cathy has always spoken about how fortunate she is for being able to grow up in a land of opportunity, but she started thinking about the women in Bangladesh (and all over the world) that do not have the means to uproot their lives to a country of opportunity and what that means for their lives, their futures, and their children’s future. So she set out to create an opportunity in 700 Rivers.

Website: https://www.ourwave.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourwavestories