Michael Ioffe

Portland, OR | 17

2017 Award Recipient

Michale Ioffee is the founder of TILE, (Talks about Innovation, Leadership and Entrepreneurship) a non-profit which offers free monthly conversations with innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs for high school and college students, particularly from low-income backgrounds. TILE bridges the resource gap for underserved students, creating a more equitable and diverse future of innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs. Through Michael’s program, tens of thousands of students have gained insights and connections that enable them to pursue their goals. Ninety percent of TILE’s chapters are minority-led and roughly twenty-five percent of the audience comes from a high-poverty background. In less than one year, TILE has grown to 128 locations in 23 countries—including Slovakia, Yemen, India, and Ethiopia—with over 400 student leaders and volunteers helping organize and operate events. TILE is now the world’s largest conversation series.