He is a first-generation Korean American who came to the United States in 2002 to pursue a college education at the University of Notre Dame, after spending his freshman year at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. Prior to joining Minkwon, Michael worked as a graduate fellow at Advocates for Justice, a small nonprofit organization fighting for social justice. Michael received his B.A. in Political Science and Chinese from Notre Dame and J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.