Mike is an artist, architect, designer and entrepreneur. 

Prior to founding Hackstudio, Mike founded and served as CEO of Cinemetro, Inc., where he wrote, produced and directed the motion picture “The Trouble With Dee Dee.” Since 2001, Mike has operated Meiners Design, where he has designed corporate identities, earned two utility patents and won a national furniture design competition. He was a co-founder of HouseHaus LLC, an architecture firm whose work has been exhibited at the Chicago Architecture Foundation and featured in Chicago Home and Garden magazine. As an artist, Mike recently completed an effort to produce 100 works of art in 100 straight days. He received his M.Arch. from The Illinois Institute of Technology and his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University. He is the father of two boys aged 11 and 9.

Through his work, Mike has recognized that the act of pursuing a dream results in deeper, more joyful learning. The joy of working with his sons inspired Mike to found Hackstudio to help a new generation of kids realize their true learning power by experiencing the anticipation, frustration and triumph of really doing what they really love.

Randy is a business development expert, strategist, innovator and entrepreneur. Before co-founding Hackstudio with Mike, Randy worked as a portfolio manager for several trading firms and hedge funds. Though his primary job was to generate returns, Randy greatest interest has always been cultivating ideas and developing new business opportunities for the firms he's worked for.  

In 2005, Randy left the comforts of the bigger firms to found a capital management firm in the emerging weather and energy derivatives market.  From there, he co-founded Hellespont Capital Management LLC, a firm that focused on algorithmic and high frequency trading.  Randy completed his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and received his undergraduate degree at Northwestern University.  He is the father of three girls, ages 11, 8 and 5.

Randy joined Mike in 2011 in his quest to develop innovative and game changing learning products and services for kids.  With innovation, business development and business operations as his primary responsibilities, Randy finally feels at home.  Hackstudio was born from multiple strategy developments, deep dives into innovative new business ideas, strategic pivots and a highly collaborative effort.