Michael Grosspietsch

Michael is passionate about inspiring and empowering people to be agents of change in the world. As a social entrepreneur, he founded the New York- and Berlin-based Global Engagement Institute (GEI) and various African and Asian affiliates to work with international professionals, students and advocates who desire to realize their potential and contribute to sustainable development processes in a broad sense in emerging countries. His organizations design high impact short-term travel programs that address existing deficits in global education and local professional capacity through experiential education, knowledge sharing and capacity development. Michael has lived in emerging countries in Africa and Asia for more than ten years, exploring questions relating to development and social justice. His Ph.D. dissertation dealt with maximizing tourism's impact on poverty reduction in Rwanda.