Meet Brendan Michaelsen

In December 2022, CanvasRebel spoke with Brendan Michaelsen, co-founder and CTO of Our Wave, for its series of conversations with entrepreneurs and creatives. Brendan walked through how Our Wave grew from a single conversation into a nonprofit platform for survivors, and what it takes to lead a team doing such sensitive work.

From a Notebook to a Launched Platform

Brendan explained that the idea took shape in late 2018, when his friend and longtime collaborator Kyle Linton asked him about building a scalable way to empower survivors of sexual violence. Both had loved ones affected by trauma, and both believed technology could help. Brendan focused on architecting the first version of the platform, putting security, data integrity, and a supportive user experience first. The team showed early prototypes to focus groups of survivors and met with advocates, healthcare professionals, and other experts to shape the design. A Raleigh law firm, Wyrick Robbins, handled Our Wave's nonprofit incorporation pro bono. The first version of the platform launched in September 2019, less than a year after that first meeting.

A Startup Path Before Our Wave

Brendan's career began at Purdue University, where he co-founded his first startup, PearCircuit, as a first-year engineering student. The company built software for clients in healthcare, education, and other fields, and was acquired in 2019. He described his role at Our Wave as developing and managing the platform, its security, and its data work, so the technology feels as welcoming as possible.

Caring for the Team Behind the Mission

At the time of the interview, Our Wave was led entirely by volunteers. Brendan described a team policy that lets anyone step out of a meeting whenever they feel overwhelmed, no questions asked. The team celebrates wins of every size and stays grounded by tracking healing journeys and messages of hope from the community. He credited an advisory board of prevention leaders, clinicians, researchers, and legal experts, along with radical transparency, for building trust with partners and survivors alike.

Read the full story in CanvasRebel.