# Michael Basch

> Michael Basch is the founder and general partner of Atento Capital and director of fund strategy and regional innovation at Renaissance Philanthropy. A former coffee-shop operator, BAMKO partner and Spotad president, he moved to Tulsa in 2018 and helped develop investment and talent initiatives with the George Kaiser Family Foundation. He now leads the Northwest Arkansas Innovation Fund while based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

- **Role:** Director, Fund Strategy and Regional Innovation at Renaissance Philanthropy; Founder and General Partner at Atento Capital
- **Organizations:** Renaissance Philanthropy, Atento Capital, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Gitwit, SourceM, Spotad, BAMKO, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
- **From:** San Francisco, United States
- **Education:** BA, Business, University of Southern California, MBA, USC Marshall School of Business, MPA, Harvard Kennedy School
- **Known for:** Oversaw a 22-store coffee operation with nearly 400 employees and approximately $19 million in revenue., Helped build BAMKO into an international product-manufacturing business before its sale to Superior Uniform Group., Led Spotad as president as it grew to more than $15 million in revenue within two years.

## Career timeline

- **High school** — Started work as a barista at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf; subsequently oversaw 22 stores.
- **Before 2016** — Partner at BAMKO and president of mobile-advertising company Spotad.
- **2016** — Worked on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, including organizing in Madison, Wisconsin.
- **2017** — Visited Tulsa in September and helped bring a recruiting group to the city in November.
- **2018** — Moved to Tulsa and worked with the George Kaiser Family Foundation on investment and economic development.
- **2020** — Celebrated Atento Capital’s public launch on January 6 with its four-person founding team.
- **2025-2026** — Studied at Harvard Kennedy School and completed an MPA.
- **2026** — Joined Renaissance Philanthropy in June and led the Northwest Arkansas Innovation Fund announced in July.

## Achievements

- Oversaw a 22-store coffee operation with nearly 400 employees and approximately $19 million in revenue.
- Helped build BAMKO into an international product-manufacturing business before its sale to Superior Uniform Group.
- Led Spotad as president as it grew to more than $15 million in revenue within two years.
- Built Atento with a team that grew to about 30 people and invested in 66 companies, 31 venture funds and four venture studios.
- Helped develop Tulsa Remote and other Tulsa talent and entrepreneurship initiatives with colleagues and philanthropic partners.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Announced his move to Renaissance Philanthropy after graduating from Harvard Kennedy School and said Cambridge remained his family’s home.
- **2026-07** — Named leader of the Northwest Arkansas Innovation Fund, with Catalyze479 and Launch479 as its inaugural programs.
- **2026-08** — Appeared on I Am Northwest Arkansas to discuss early-stage capital, small teams using AI and regional entrepreneurship.

## Links

- Website: https://mikebasch.medium.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebasch/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/BaschMichael

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-basch
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-16