Company Info for mshcpartners.com | IcebreakerMembers
Michael Bassik is CEO of Optimal, a leading performance marketing company that combines proprietary data, groundbreaking technology, and innovative media solutions to inspire audiences across a changing media landscape. In addition to leading the company’s strategy, operations, marketing, and growth, he oversees the company’s growing healthcare data and advertising practice. Previously, Michael was co-founder of DSPolitical (now part of Optimal), the nation’s premier voter targeted digital advertising company, and held various leadership positions at WPP and MDC Partners (now Stagwell). A sought-after expert on technology and media trends, Michael has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Cheddar, and NPR, and was previously named one of Advertising Age’s “40 Under 40” and PRWeek’s “40 Under 40.” A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and American University’s Washington College of Law, he lives in New York with his wife Alexandra and their three children. 
I am a 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 with more than a decade of experience leading change in France and the US. I use my 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 to drive innovation and progress, consistently upholding a strong commitment to 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 and 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆.
As Executive Director at InfraNum, which represents the French digital infrastructure industry, 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝗽-𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. InfraNum and its team of experts bring together the best digital talents and entrepreneurs to create the connectivity we need today and will need tomorrow.
Prior to my current position, I led successively the R&D and the Public Relations & Affairs teams at INA, the world's largest media archive organization—there, I pushed forward 𝗔𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 as well as 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 to promote our streaming services, podcasts and digital content offers.
In 2017, I helped launch Forbidden Stories, the 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 that revealed the Pegasus global surveillance scandal. From 2014 to 2017, I was the 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. I was able to spearhead transformative digitalization efforts across the French government, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. I have worked as a political consultant and campaign strategist for forward-thinking candidates and brands such as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Google, and YouTube.
Additionally, I have served as a 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 since 2018—I focus on citizen participation and innovation.
A lover of all things American, I root for the Dallas Cowboys. 
A Creative Director and Designer working at the intersection of design, cultural equity and sustainability. With a a keen sense of visual storytelling, layout, color balance and type design, I delight in creating work that doesn’t look as though it was designed. Design that’s not preconceived or
overworked, that resonates with people.
I love the work of ideation and creative problem solving leading to thoughtful design, that speaks to people. I believe in the power of design to communicate, to inspire, and to move people.
With a background in social/cognitive psychology and visual art, my work is as much informed by research and prototyping as it is with an openness to exploration and the impromptu. I relish looking at things differently.
I bring my experience in print and digital marketing to my current focus on work for social justice initiatives, design and arts organizations, fashion & culture brands, product design, and
communications.
Brands I’ve worked with include:
Adobe | GE | JusticeAid | Society for Human Resource Management | The UN Foundation - GirlUp.org | CTIA Wireless | Microsoft | Thomson Reuters | The United Way | Parasol | New Britain Museum of American Art | The Land & Garden Preserve | La Prairie | ... 
