About Michelle
Michelle Lane Messina is CEO of the international training and consulting firm, Explora International LLC and co-author of the best-selling book Decoding Silicon Valley: The Insider’s Guide. Michelle has worked in more than 65 countries, advising CEOs and founders, and consulting for governments, startups, and corporation innovation initiatives.
Michelle’s 15+ years in startup and SME competitiveness, commercialization, and acceleration projects have made her a sought-after speaker, advisor, and mentor in the entrepreneurial world. At the heart of her work is education. Outside of her capacity as a trainer, Michelle brings her wealth of knowledge to the classroom, teaching the transformative course Concept to Company at ISM University of Management and Economics in Vilnius, Lithuania. In this, she molds the minds of future business leaders, infusing them with the spirit of Silicon Valley.
For those who have left the classroom behind, Decoding Silicon Valley showcases a portion of her global expertise, helping you better understand subtle aspects of the Valley that make it such a unique place to build startups.
Michelle is more than a CEO, an author, or an educator; she's a visionary and global change-maker, transforming the startup ecosystem one country at a time. Engage with her, learn from her, and be part of this extraordinary journey.
Michelle is available as a keynote speaker, trainer, educator, and advisor to CEOs.
Key Programs Facilitated
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Innovation Ecosystem Assessments: Panama, Vietnam, Nigeria
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Screening and Selecting Startups: Armenia, Hungary, Brazil, Lebanon, Japan, Colombia, and Korea
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Pre-Acceleration Educational Courses (online & in-person): Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, Mexico, Nigeria, Armenia, Brazil, and more
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Startup Diagnostic and Benchmarking: Armenia, Mexico, Serbia, Kosovo, Colombia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil
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Silicon Valley Programs (qualified sales meetings, workshops, and demo day preparation): Taiwan, Korea, Colombia, Armenia, Brazil, and more
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Presentation and Pitch Training: Korea, Japan, Lebanon, Brazil, Egypt and more
Recent Speaking Topics
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Everywhere, Everyday: Ubiquity of Exponential Technology
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Decoding Silicon Valley: Attitudes, Beliefs, and Culture of Innovation
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Finding Alignment in your Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
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Operational Alignment for Startup Global Expansion
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Product-Market Fit for Founders
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Why & How Startups Fail
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Scaling up Without Screwing up
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Corporate-Startup Partnerships that Deliver
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Selecting Your Ideal Mentor, Advisor, or Coach