Michael Antaran (he, him, his) - Business Mentor
Startup founder. Jeep enthusiast. Dad.
As a business mentor at the Academy, Michael “Mike” looks forward to giving the learners creative freedom to pursue big ideas without bounds to make a positive impact on society. Mike’s role is to help each of the teams to take the next step to create a great business out of their ideas.
Prior to joining the Academy, Mike spent most of his professional career as one of the auto industry’s leading powertrain and engine systems experts at DaimlerChrysler and General Motors Co. Mike left GM in 2012 to launch Marvel Apps, LLC – and hasn’t looked back.
Mike is a graduate of Wayne State University (Bachelor of Science, mechanical engineering) and Oakland University (MSME). When he’s not busy developing game-changing apps, Mike serves as a volunteer for middle school students; mentors University of Michigan engineering students; is a board member of Oakland University School of Health Sciences, his alma mater; and is an adviser to the Computer Science Department at University of Detroit - Mercy.
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What would your fellow mentors say your greatest strengths are?
My mentor colleagues and I share a common goal: To mentor learners to be world-class Apple developers. We were brought together to lean on each other to be successful. My fellow mentors look to me to provide the energy and ingenuity to turn the ordinary into extraordinary.
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If you were to offer students one piece of advice as they start their journey at the Academy, what would it be?
For some people, this is an opportunity to reset or redefine their paths, so I’d tell them to make the most of it. Creating great apps goes beyond having a great idea. It takes hard work, collaboration and embracing failure. Remember to stay in the moment, turn your shortcomings into opportunities for growth, and always be curious to learn.
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Have you always wanted to work in tech? What is your personal history with tech?
As a founder of a startup in Detroit, I didn’t want to create a company that simply offered products and services — I wanted to provide great solutions to the challenges faced by clients using technology. That approach, combined with my 15 years of design, programming and leadership experience in the automotive industry, has distinguished my startup as one of the most innovative and successful mobile application development firms in Southeast Michigan.
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What was your experience with coding, tech, iOS, or entrepreneurship before the Academy?
In 2014, I was selected by Goldman Sachs to participate in its 2014 10k Small Business Program in Detroit — a program I successfully completed while developing CARROT, a unique fitness app that rewards users financially for walking. In August of 2015, I was one of just 16 entrepreneurs in the United States selected to participate in a special business development program hosted jointly by Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg LP in New York City.
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What made you want to be a mentor? What are you most excited about?
As an entrepreneur, my path was winding, sometimes sideways, but always adventurous. As a father, I strive to make my kids proud of their dad. As a husband, I want to be the best person I can be for my wife. As an Apple Academy mentor, I am most excited to be on the frontlines of development, shaping the future of creating great apps. Having access to the newest technologies from Apple on day one and sharing with the learners to make a positive impact in society, is part of my fabric.
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Where are you from and where do you live now?
I am the third of four siblings born in the United States from immigrant parents from the Philippines. I now reside in Huntington Woods with my wife of 19 years, raising my three kids under the age of 16.