# Mike Schmidt

> Mike Schmidt, also known professionally as Michael Schmidt, co-founded Nerdery in 2003 with Luke Bucklin and Mike Derheim and became CEO in 2020 after serving in technology and board leadership. Based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, he also co-founded Prime Digital Academy in 2014. His recent writing examines AI adoption, organizational change and the responsibilities of building business-critical software.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Nerdery
- **Organizations:** Nerdery, Prime Digital Academy
- **Known for:** Co-founded Nerdery in 2003 and became its CEO in 2020., Co-founded Prime Digital Academy in 2014., Led Nerdery when it received the 2026 Google Cloud Partner of the Year award in Services and Industry Solutions: Education.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2003** — Worked at Minnesota Internet with future co-founders Luke Bucklin and Mike Derheim.
- **2003** — Co-founded Sierra Bravo, later named Nerdery.
- **2010** — Identified as senior vice president of software development when the Nerdery name change was announced in December.
- **2014** — Co-founded Prime Digital Academy.
- **2016** — Moved from CIO to vice chairman, as reported in January.
- **Before 2020** — Served as chairman of Nerdery’s board.
- **2020** — Became CEO of Nerdery; appointment reported October 5.
- **2026** — Published AI From the Inside writing about organizational change and AI adoption.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Nerdery in 2003 and became its CEO in 2020.
- Co-founded Prime Digital Academy in 2014.
- Led Nerdery when it received the 2026 Google Cloud Partner of the Year award in Services and Industry Solutions: Education.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — His LinkedIn profile lists AI From the Inside: Foundation, dated April 2, 2026.
- **2026-04** — On April 21, Nerdery announced its Google Cloud Partner of the Year award in Services and Industry Solutions: Education; Schmidt discussed its Virtual Teacher’s Assistant.
- **2025-10** — CBMC Northland identified Schmidt as a member and recurring host of its Business Series Luncheons at Nerdery.

## Links

- Website: https://www.nerdery.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-schmidt

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/mike-schmidt
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24