Candidate for
City Council; City of Burlingame

Michael G. Brownrigg

Michael Brownrigg is a founding partner of a new financial services company called Total Impact Advisors (http://www.totalimpactadvisors.com). TIA advises and helps source investors for social enterprises, those companies whose goods or services will make the planet better off but which also turn a profit. Early client examples include a company from Tennessee that wants to take modern plant propagation techniques to Rwanda to boost rural incomes and exports, and a San Mateo company that has a breakthrough tire reclamation technology to deal with the nation's 300 million annual scrap tires.

Before founding TIA, Michael was Managing Partner at ChinaVest Venture Capital, which he joined in September 1997. ChinaVest is the oldest U.S. venture capital firm in Greater China, making investments in logistics, manufacturing, consumer services and information technology.

Prior to that, Michael served for 12 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, most of which were spent negotiating with Europe, the Middle East and China, receiving numerous honors over his career. In 1990, he was seconded to the Office of the US Trade Representative and became Executive Assistant to USTR Ambassador Carla Hills. From 1993 to 1996 he served as chief trade negotiator at the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and in 1996/97 he was a Pearson Fellow and diplomat in residence at the University of Southern California, where he helped grow a fledgling foreign affairs organization called the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Michael remains involved in and committed to community service. In the last quarter of 2006, he contributed his time to the creation of a new non-profit aimed at controlling malaria. In the space of four months, a small team led by Michael and Gary Edson created the business plan for Malaria No More, negotiated key implementing agreements, and helped the White House organize a Global Summit on Malaria, which was held December 14, 2006.

Locally, Michael has served on the Burlingame Planning Commission since 2001, reviewing hundreds of new homes and businesses. He also serves on our city's Green Ribbon Environmental Task Force, helped found the annual Green Fair, and is a Director of the East Palo Alto-based non-profit Foundation for a College Education, which is aimed at helping disadvantaged kids and their parents prepare for and complete a college education.

Finally, Michael speaks, teaches and writes when he can about international economics (see, e.g., the Washington Post op-ed "Our Stake in the Bailouts" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/01/05/ST2009010502478.html). Michael has also been active with various candidates as an economic advisor.

Michael was educated at Williams College where he received a double major in Economics and German. He is married to Marty Burchell with four children ages 16 - 5.