Meet Misha
Very practical. Very human.
For over 20 years, I’ve been mastering the art of creating events where people genuinely connect.
A big part of what I do for a living is advise people on how to make their conferences better. I care enormously about connecting people to each other, and I think conferences are amazing tools for creating valuable community.
If you’re looking for someone who’s had a linear corporate career path I’m not your guy. Okay, I went to Harvard and I’ve worked with companies like Zoom and Shopify. But I do a lot of other stuff.
I co-wrote a weird, non-businessy book of essays called “The Chairs Are Where The People Go”, which The New Yorker chose as one of their top nonfiction picks the year it came out, and the LA Review of Books said, “should be required reading for Congress”, even though it’s 10% about chairs.
Other stuff I do
I taught improv, worked as a software developer, and host Trampoline Hall, a barroom non-expert lecture series which has sold out monthly since forever.
A lot of what I do in a room comes from there: the give and take, the yes-and, the co-creation of something.
I continue to do a lot of performance stuff in the city. I run a bunch of shows that I do mostly for fun, but also feel not totally disconnected from my professional practice.
How I work with clients
We will have a genuine actual human relationship. At times I’ll support you, at times I’ll challenge you.
Running a conference often involves making challenging and daunting decisions. I’m here to help you with that hard stuff.
The Chairs Are Where the People Go
The Chairs are Where the People Go is a book co-written with New York Times bestselling author Sheila Heti, who had the idea of writing a book of everything I know.
The 72 chapters (which I dictated and she transcribed and edited) cover subjects such as neighbourhood activism, making conferences exhilarating, how to set up chairs for things, quitting smoking, and more.
“A triumph of what might be called conversational philosophy… The world is better for these humane and hilarious essays.”
“[Chairs] has an intimacy, clear-headedness, and humor that our society needs right now. It should be required reading for Congress.”
Podcasts and conversations
I spoke with Michael Bungay Stanier about the three big questions I help my clients answer to improve their change gatherings: