MICHAEL MEURER, FOUNDER

Michael is an internationally published writer, entrepreneur and communications strategist focused on civic and media innovation at the intersection of culture, business and politics. Using the proprietary Claritas process, Michael and Meurer Group have provided branding and communications strategy to a wide range of commercial clients from Fortune 500 companies to tech startups and NGOs and to political campaigns at the local, state and national levels.

As president of tech startup Automated Product Development, Inc. (APD), Michael guided the company all the way from the product development process through agency approvals and an international marketing campaign of the PCK-9100 price checker, which became a global standard in self scan checkout. Michael led the negotiations that culminated in the successful sale of international manufacturing and marketing rights to the world’s largest barcode scanner manufacturer.

Michael has also consulted for and/or managed political and organizing campaigns at local, state and national levels. He has broad experience in capacity building and political startups. He has traveled the width and breadth of California speaking to aspiring entrepreneurs and training, organizing and motivating grassroots political organizers. He is bilingual English-Spanish and has traveled widely studying citizen-driven civic innovation in Europe and the Americas.

Michael is also the founder of Reimagining Politics, a non-profit, crowd-funded educational initiative focused on civic innovation and new models of citizen-driven political engagement. The project is based on extensive political research and field investigation by Michael in Europe and the Americas that began in 2016 and continues today.

Michael is a graduate of the University of Montana in Missoula with a liberal arts degree in history, literature and philosophy.

MILENA PALACIO, FOUNDING ASSOCIATE

Milena manages Meurer Group’s customer outreach. Milena is founder of the Comuna 13 Project, which brings free classes four times each week in English and English-speaking culture to residents of what was once the most at-risk barrio in Medellín, Colombia.

Milena has worked assisting refugees in Germany and across Europe. She is currently working on communications outreach, translation and operations for both the Reimagining Politics educational initiative and Meurer Group & Associates. She is fluent in Spanish, English and German. Milena also teaches Spanish classes online.