Michael Stern is a leader of the new communications era. As the CEO and Founder of HeadStart, Michael is redefining how Digital Health, HR Tech, and Venture Capital firms build authority in an age where the traditional PR model has fundamentally collapsed.

A three-time founder and former TV News Executive Producer, Michael possesses a "double-lens" view of the media landscape. He recognizes that in a world of AI-generated noise and fragmented attention, the old tools—pay-to-play schemes and static press releases—are no longer just ineffective; they are a liability. Michael’s mission is to replace "legacy PR" with a forward-looking framework that ensures a brand’s story reaches audiences where they are at, not where PR agencies think they have the easiest time getting placements, by developing owned and earned media strategies with LLM results in mind.

Under Michael’s leadership, HeadStart operates as an innovation partner for startups, turning "back-of-the-napkin" visions into market-defining narratives. He is a frequent speaker and mentor at Techstars, the Johns Hopkins Accelerator, and DC Startup Week, where he teaches founders how to build media engines that scale trust as fast as they scale code.

Based outside of Denver, Michael is a voracious reader and a dedicated supporter of Philadelphia sports, the Maryland Terrapins, and Everton FC.