Hello, I'm Chris Michael. 

Over the past 20 years I have worked at the intersection of human rights advocacy, environmental justice, technology, and storytelling. The work is challenging enough, which is a primary reason I seek to always bring and cultivate joy and celebration in my communication and collaboration. I endeavor to be antiracist in my thoughts, actions, and words; and, I support value-aligned social change leaders and groups that develop people-centered strategies and campaigns that prioritize the voice, experience, and wisdom of those most affected. 

I started my social change work as a community organizer, and that's when I learned how to listen more intently, mobilize with communities, and help leverage the potential and dynamism of people power. As a national organizer for Global Exchange and United for Peace and Justice, I supported grassroots groups across the United States that were working to stop the invasion of Iraq through leading tailored trainings, organizing nonviolent direction actions, and coordinating legislative campaigns. Later, I learned the art and efficacy of corporate campaigning while with Rainforest Action Network, working to help break our addiction to oil through pressuring the auto industry to enter the 21st century. 

Before founding Collaborations for Change, I was the Head of Training and Partnerships at WITNESS, where I spent seven years transforming its training resources, advancing its methodology, and bolstering its partnerships with hundreds of human rights allies across five continents. Before there was YouTube, I helped fund, design, and manage the Hub, a multilingual, multi-million dollar online platform for user-submitted human rights videos. I also developed and ran WITNESS' Video for Change Toolkit, an interactive online course for advocates to learn how to most effectively and ethically integrate multimedia into their human rights advocacy, documentation, and legal efforts. 

As a campaigner, I have led winning advocacy campaigns, successful individual and foundation-focused fundraising drives, and innovative online and social media engagements to help move millions to action. As a capacity builder, I have trained and advised hundreds of human rights advocates from over 115 countries and lectured at Columbia University, The New School, and New York University. (Learn more at LinkedIn.)

Pronouns: He/him

Rates

Collaborations for Change has always had an equity-driven, sliding-scale fee structure based upon the university, foundation, nonprofit, or community group’s annual budget. Institutions paying at the higher end of the scale enable us to support many organizations at a greatly reduced rate, and provide pro-bono services to grassroots groups.

Land Acknowledgment

Collaborations for Change is based in Midcoast Maine, the traditional territory of the Wabanaki Confederacy, which was stolen via genocidal strategies of colonial settlement. We recognize and honor the current Tribes who comprise the Wabanaki Confederacy — the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac peoples — who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We support their inherent sovereignty and their efforts for land and water protection and restoration, and for cultural healing and recovery. We pay our respects to their elders and leaders; past, present, and emerging,

Artwork

I am very grateful to Kristina Snyder, of Snyder NYC, for introducing me to Laurène Boglio and Stéphanie Sergeant, the exceptional artists whose animations are featured throughout this site.