Michael G. May
Michael May's personal life and professional career are characterized by pioneering efforts in business and in community service.
After obtaining a Masters' Degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Mr. May worked at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in McLean Virginia as a Political Risk Analyst. He subsequently moved to the West Coast to work for the Bank of California and then for TRW/ESL developing a new business area for high tech political risk assessment.
In 1984, Mike May joined 3 colleagues from ESL to start Finial Technology, developer of the world's first Laser Turntable where he helped raise six million dollars in venture capital while heading up worldwide marketing and distribution. Mike founded two ventures in Oregon, Maytek Products and CustomEyes Computer Systems, which he eventually sold, before returning to Silicon Valley in 1995 to join Arkenstone as Vice-President of Sales. He left Arkenstone in late 1999 to form the Sendero Group. Sendero combines the skills of high tech professionals with orientation experts to put accessible location information into the hands of people who are blind or visually impaired. Sendero is the lead organization in a $2.25 MM wayfinding grant backed by 5 other organizations. Mike and Sendero have pioneered accessible GPS from a back-pack laptop version in 1994 to the 1-pound BrailleNote version 10 years later. He presents worldwide on accessible wayfinding. Mike May and Sendero received the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show New Innovations award.
Mike May received the first American Foundation for the Blind Kay Gallagher award recognizing his mentoring role and contributions to community organizations including Society for the Blind, Discovery Blind Sports, United States Association of Blind Athletes, Blind Babies Foundation, Lighthouse for the Blind, Vista Center, Sensory Access Foundation and Project Hired.
To further the efforts of his causes and ventures, Mike May has met numerous sports, entertainment and political celebrities including meeting three U.S. Presidents. Vice-President Gore said at a White House ceremony in 1996, "It will not be long before we see Mike and others wearing GPS devices on their wrists."
Mike was also acknowledged at the White House by Ronald Reagan after the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics. "Mike, you and the other competitors here are testimony to all young people that they should never be afraid to dream big dreams and they should never hesitate to try to make those dreams a reality." (Mike holds the downhill speed skiing record for a totally blind person of 65 MPH.)
Among Mike's current challenges are raising two boys, Carson 15 and Wyndham 13 and to see his dream of an accessible GPS navigation and information system be readily available to blind people worldwide.
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