Michael Johnson is a citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Michael graduated with distinction from University of Colorado Denver majoring in Political Science. Over the last 14 years, he has worked to grow and strengthen the educational, health, economic, land conservation, policy, litigation, impact investing and lending, organizing and power building nonprofit sectors serving Indian Country to create lasting relationships built on respect, reciprocity, impact, and success with communities and allies alike.
An active member of the Just Economy Institute, an integrated capital thinker, and current Treasurer at The Kindle Project, Michael has advocated for Native people on local, national and international platforms, while also representing Tribal communities and working to educate and help philanthropists and investors find value aligned projects throughout Indian Country. A champion of Tribal self determination, trust-based philanthropy, and colonial systems disruptor, Michael has supported Native led nonprofits in significantly increasing partnerships and revenues, with more than $210M in grants and $15M of investments secured to date.