Mike Smerklo, Angel Investor

Michael Smerklo is an experienced entrepreneur, investor, and business leader with a proven track record of building and scaling companies. He bought and grew a small business into a publicly traded company worth nearly a billion dollars, giving him firsthand insight into the grit, resilience, and execution required for entrepreneurial success. He is the author of Mr. Monkey and Me: A Real Survival Guide for Entrepreneurs and writes extensively about the realities of entrepreneurship, sharing lessons he calls “TOS” (“The Other Sh*t”)—insights that can’t be learned from textbooks or corporate jobs but only through risk-taking and experience. Mike focuses on leadership, growth, and helping founders scale their businesses while keeping perspective on the challenges of the entrepreneurial journey. In addition to his writing and mentorship, Mike serves on the boards of Everlywell, LeanDNA, and Submittable, and actively invests in and advises growth-stage companies. His career reflects a commitment to turning ideas into reality while supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.