Michael Ien Cohen

Producer, Director, Actor, Entrepreneur, Humanitarian, Life-Long Skateboarder Michael's love for the performing arts began at 7 years old, acting in local theater guilds. At 17, Michael stopped acting to focus on school and work in the hotel industry. After graduating college, his entrepreneurial career began, co-founding businesses to manufacture magnets for various industries. Soon after that, he co-founded a software company pioneering web-based management systems for fire departments and EMS squads. In 2017 Michael's love of humanitarian work, his passion to help inspire people and affect positive change in the world set him on a new journey, ultimately leading him to co-found the WhatStopsYou.org Foundation, a 501(c)(3) to help children and adults overcome their fears and make their dreams come true. In 2017, he began producing and directing the uniquely uplifting and thought provoking documentary film, Humanity Stoked. The two main humanitarian inspirations in Michael's life include his Grandfather; a life-long volunteer for various causes and a celebrated FDNY hero with a day named after him in Brooklyn, NY. Michael is also inspired daily by his two daughters, whom he describes as having "truly beautiful and old souls", and that remind him about the importance of inspiring children to live full, rich, joyous and open lives.