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Mike May's Inspirational SpeakingMichael May has given hundreds of talks to a variety of organizations ranging from presentations about Seeing Eye dogs in school classrooms and adaptive technology workshops at blindness conferences to a formal speech at a college graduation.
Mike May says that he has been in training as a start-up CEO since he went blind at the age of three. He was forced to adopt the attitude that, "there is always a way." He illustrates this philosophy through stories of playing flag football in elementary school, intramural soccer in college, living in a West African village, crashing the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, starting 4 companies, traveling worldwide and raising 2 boys with his wife Jennifer. Mike's sincerity and humor are contagious in leading one to truly believe that there is indeed "always a way", not just because he is a disabled person who has triumphed in the face of adversity, but because he has led a fascinating life with the added challenge of being blind.
What people are saying about Mike May
Mike May has been the subject of national TV stories on several occasions over the past 15 years. His first start-up company, Finial Technology, captured general and audio industry attention for the development of the world's first Laser Turntable in a race to beat out compact disc technology in 1984-1987. As a blind downhill skier, Mike was in the media for his exploits for setting the speed skiing record for a totally blind person (65 MPH) and winning 6 international medals including being in a Warren Miller feature ski movie and on ABC Wide World of Sports. President Reagan recognized Mike May personally at the White House along with the US Winter Olympic team. There was another media blitz with the development of the GPS technology for the blind on all the networks and magazine shows in 1995-1997. Mike burst onto the national scene again in spring of 2000 after he had two surgeries and regained some vision after 43 years of total blindness. This incredible experience is another in the litany of pioneering experiences Mike May brings to the public through the media and his presentations. A BBC documentary on Mike's experiences entitled "The Man Who Learnt To See" won the Royal Television Society's award for "best single programme" in 2002. Most recently, a book about Mike May, Crashing Through, by best selling author Robert Kurson was released. He was on CBS Sunday Morning, Talk of the Nation NPR Radio, and more to come. Many of Mike's presentations are at industry conferences regarding his latest projects and products. He has made these presentations in at least 12 countries. Many of his current conferences are within the blindness industry but others have included 3 years at the International Conference on Wearable Computing, the Institute of Navigation and the IEEE. Mike has worked in 6 industries. His breadth of perspective adds valuable scope to his depth of knowledge on his presentation topic.
Potential Presentation Topics
FormatMike is flexible in various settings and length of speech. He can sit on the floor of a classroom-playing guitar with a group of children or make a multi media speech on a stage in front of 1500 people. His presentation is not canned and will vary to fit the audience, place and situation. Availability and CostMike will make no more than one presentation per month in order not to interfere with the development of his company. His speaking fee depends upon the host organization and venue. The amount of time and travel influence the fee as well. For more information on booking Mike May for your Event. If your agency is a Non-profit in the blindness field Contact Us |
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