Social Impact, Helping Clinton Beat Trump & Engaging Communities - Michael Slaby / Founder of Timshel

Tech In Chicago

Michael Slaby is the Founder and Head of Mission of Timshel, a startup that has developed a platform called The Groundwork to give organizations and brands more powerful digital tools to analyze all the data they are producing, help them organize supporters, get their message out, and raise money. According to Federal Election Commission records, Hillary Clinton has spent almost $500,000 on Timshel’s services since announcing her candidacy last year. Before starting Timshel, Michael was the CTO of Obama for America in 2008 and Obama’s Chief Integration Officer in 2012, overseeing the campaign's integration of technology, digital strategy, and analytics.

listen on iTunes listen on stitcher

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• How an "argument of violent agreement" got Michael into politics
• The differences between the 2008 election and 2012 election
• What the team took from the 2012 campaign to Timshel
• How Timshel balances being a for profit company and having a social mission
• How Timshel is helping Hillary Clinton's campaign
• Why they started a podcast
• Why we need to improve the availability of early stage capital here in Chicago (None of Timshel's investors are from here)
• Why Michael thinks Chicago has a bright future in impact analytics
• How entrepreneurs can balance the line between optimism and insanity

Selected Links From The Episode:

• Dick Durbin, Illinois Senator
• Joe Rospars, Founder & CEO of Blue State Digital
• Harper Reed, Former CTO at Obama For America
• Dan Wagner, Founder and CEO of Civis Analytics
• UN Refugee Agency
• The Hive, digital arm of UN Refugee Agency
• Impact Engine
• The way we think about charity is dead wrong by Dan Pallotta,
• Stephanie Hannon, CTO of Clinton Campaign
• Edelmen, Marketing Agency
• Fabretto Foundation
• Bright Pink
• I Am That Girl
• Food Tank
• Elevate Purpose, Timshel's podcast
• Rayid Ghani, Director of the Center for Data Science and Public Policy
• Kevin Willer, VC at Chicago Ventures
• JB Pritzker, VC at Pritzker VC
• Matter
• Data For Social Good
• University of Chicago Crime Lab
• UN Sustainable Development Goals

Favorite Books:

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck (where the name Timshel comes from)
• This Is Water by David Foster Wallace (given to every new employee)
• Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts