Mike Steele
Joined the Board of Directors in 2023
I definitely meet a certain kind of Minnesota stereotype: I grew up in MN, went to college in MN, stayed in MN for work, and still can name some high school friends that I am close to. However, I was fortunate to grow up in a family that taught me empathy, a passion for helping others, an appreciation for diversity and the utmost respect for those facing adversity. I spent the first 8 years of my career in corporate consulting, which brought the excitement of delivering mission-critical work to my clients. I knew that while I was passionate about this work, I needed to supplement this by giving back more directly to the community (in kind and financially). I have since left corporate consulting to work on improving health outcomes for Seniors at UHC. After work and on the weekends you can find me cooking, trying new cuisine and restaurants in the Twin Cities, and trying to catch fish. I enjoy (well, most of the time I enjoy) fostering dogs, and have fostered 6 pups to date with my partner and our two resident cats.
I joined the Exodus Finance Committee in February 2019 as I was aligned with the organization’s key tenets: 1) Listening to what people need and delivering services in the way they want, and 2) Stopping the predatory loan cycle. I’m passionate about contributing to strategies that interrupt the poverty cycle and help individuals climb out of poverty. I joined the full Board in March 2023, where I am excited to continue turning my empathy into action, using my skillsets in strategic planning, reporting and finance/accounting operation
Who is one person who inspires you and why?
Stephen Colbert, Mindy Kaling, and other comedians and storyteller … Their ability to present and challenge direct mainstream ideas with humor and well thought out arguments are skills I am envious of!