Michael Willard

Member

Michael has a strong emphasis on marketing and business growth support. Following the second Ukraine revolution, which he and his wife Olga supported, he relocated from Ukraine to Florida due to challenges in his Moscow business endeavors, including working with Alexei Navalny during his mayoral campaign in Moscow.

Currently based in the US, Michael is actively involved in several USAID programs, such as Securing Water for Food in Frontier Markets, Raising the Profile of Minority Rights Groups in the Middle East, and working with USAID’s Partnership Incubator through the Kaizen Company.

An accomplished author, Michael has written over 20 books, including commissioned biographies and ten novels. His publications often focus on PR and marketing, media training, crisis management, public speaking, and career counseling.

Michael's wife, a key partner in their business and collaborative work with USAID, is a doctoral student at the University of Central Florida. Despite being language-challenged, Michael benefits from his wife's linguistic skills—she is fluent in Russian, native Ukrainian, and English—which significantly enhance their international efforts.

Michael continues to advocate for exploring funded work with international agencies such as USAID, the World Bank, EBRD, and IFC, acknowledging the challenges and competitive nature of securing contracts in these areas. His enduring interest in international work drives his professional endeavors forward.