Michael E. McGuire, Jr.

Michael is an entrepreneur, leader, and educator with 25+ years of experience building ventures across global trade, fintech, streaming media, and nonprofits. He has taught entrepreneurship at Columbia University since 2018, mentoring students through initiatives like the Dean’s Challenge Grant, Columbia Venture Competition, Lab to Market Accelerator and was a tutor at Columbia’s Community Impact. He also coaches for Babson College and has mentored in the Goldman Sachs “10KSB” program. Michael began his career at Manufacturers Hanover Trust (now JPMorgan Chase) before launching his first startup and has never looked back. Most recently, he co-founded and led Symbridge, a fintech startup focused on digital assets, serving as CEO (2019–2021) and Chairman (2021–2022) until his exit. Across his ventures, he has raised over $50 million in financing. A sought-after advisor, Michael has served on boards for Stillwater Mining (NYSE) and Plug Power (NASDAQ) and was a Finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. A five-time Ironman finisher, he holds degrees from Columbia and Babson and is a dual U.S.-Swiss citizen.