Hi, I'm Myke

I'm a founder, investor and technologist with a deep belief that the world is better when people come together.

About Me

I love building things that connect people around a common purpose.

Here's my profile in The Washington Post.

What's up with my name, anyway? Nahorniak ("Na-horn-yak") is Ukraninan and it means "from the mountain." Mykel is the phonetic way of spelling "Michael."

Investing

I've been an angel investor since 2015, and have invested at the seed stage in multiple unicorn companies.

I invest as early as possible in companies that prioritize team, timing, business model, idea, and funding. In that order.

These days, I deploy capital in a specific niche: practical AI companies. I invest in these businesses through Halfcorp.

Ongoing

Exited

R.I.P.

  • ðŸŠĶ 1776
  • ðŸŠĶ Hitlist

Projects

Occasionally I'll run into an inconvenience that can be solved with code. When I can, I publish my work so others might find it useful.

Major

  • Half Corporation
    Smaller than the sum of its parts. A venture studio with a mission to nurture practical AI.

Minor

  • Etern1ty
    Etern1ty creates personalized workouts based on your input and delivers tailored audio cues, letting you stay focused without needing to look at your phone.
  • Climate Change Tech Library
    A comprehensive resource that compiles the latest developments in climate change technologies and their ability to make systemic change at a global scale.
  • Brocly
    An iOS app that helps you track your daily vegetable consumption.
  • CarPrep
    An iOS checklist app that helps new car owners take delivery of their vehicle (based on Tesla Prep).
  • Tesla Prep
    A simple checklist app that helps new Tesla owners take delivery of their vehicle. 12,000 deliveries and counting.
  • Marin Fairy
    For Marin County peeps, an easy-to-read Golden Gate ferry schedule.

R.I.P.

  • Polo Fairy
    Using AI to parse the hilariously confusing Golden Gate Park polo field schedule. Golden Gate Park finally created a calendar feed as a result of this app, so it's no longer necessary.
  • Yaycorn
    An SMS chatbot that uses AI to make sure you never forget to buy someone a gift.
  • The Feels Fair Agreement
    A document template for company founders to have a plan for when things don't go to plan.
  • ChatGPT Coding Experiments
    An impromptu virtual meetup where someone volunteers a problem they're trying to solve and we live-code a solution together using AI tools.

Links

  • Github
    My open source contributions.

Communities shape all of us

Here's my journey through tech, and the communities I joined along the way.

🐍 1987
I painstakingly build type-in games on the family Atari.

ðŸ’ū 1992
The family gets a 486 PC (with a 1x CD-ROM!). I install DOOM.

☎ïļ 1997
I start a two-line BBS on my dad's old laptop, joining a local community of SysOps.

🌎 1998
I get access to the Internet, which expands my understanding of "community," from local to global. I learn that the person who runs my favorite tech news website, BetaNews, goes to my high school.

ðŸ•đ 1999
I save every penny and build my first computer. I fall deep into the "underworld" communities of warez, QuakeWorld, and IRC.

ðŸŽĻ 2000
I discover the creative community through Photoshop, and start designing websites for non-profits. I start writing tech articles. I write my first blog post.

💞 2001
I write my first web app and discover the selfless, but unforgiving community of FOSS. I start moonlighting as a developer/designer for companies.

ðŸ“ą 2007
I wait in line with other early adopters for the first iPhone.

ðŸ’Ą 2009
With "community" being such a foundational element of my upbringing, I start Localist, a community event platform, with a friend. It's my entry into the community of entrepreneurs.

ðŸšī 2010
I enter my first bike race and begin a long-term relationship with the cycling community that continues to this day.

ðŸĪ‘ 2012
After achieving sustainable profitability in the company, I buy out our investor, returning 100% ownership to the founders.

👞 2015
I join the angel investor community to "send the elevator back down" to the next cohort of entrepreneurs.

🏏 2016
I become an ICF certified executive coach, helping leaders grow through empathy and perspective.

📈 2019
50% of the entire community software industry is founded. Others are realizing the impact of connection, and community.

ðŸĨ― 2020
With COVID-19, the relevance of getting together in-person is tested like never before. At Localist, we successfully define what it means to stay connected to a community in a virtual-only world, and continue to grow.

⛰ïļ 2021
My family moves to Marin County, California. We learn to find our place in the local community.

🎉 2022
Localist is acquired by Concept3D in the summer, kicking off the next chapter of personal thinking and tinkering.

ðŸĶū 2023
True AI is just around the corner and I'm all-in, starting Halfcorp.