Michael was raised middleclass in Massachusetts. He was a gifted athlete but struggled academically. He went to college on a lacrosse scholarship. During his second semester he experienced a spontaneous spiritual event known as a kundalini awakening. The traumatic event caused several symptoms of mental illness and forced him to leave school. He struggled with his spiritual awakening and drug and alcohol abuse for the next ten years. During this time, he took a kundalini teacher training course under the late Yogi Bhajan, received a biotechnology degree, and a bachelor's degree in biology. Eventually, Michael used orthomolecular therapy to repair his body and brain which allowed him to come off his medications.Kundalini energy is a natural part of the human body. The spiritual experience had a profound effect on Michael. He became smarter, ambitious, and it left him with a compulsion to learn. He believes through direct observation that this spiritual energy is used to unify the consciousness of the body with the "I am" or normal consciousness of the mind. Michael briefly worked in industries germane to his degrees. He also worked for adults struggling with mental illness as a health and wellness coordinator. It was working with this group of individuals that Michael was able to see the consequences and causes of poverty. Malnourishment, drug addiction, unstable living conditions and the absence of a support system were common challenges to their financial independence
