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Michael Gaio
Founder, Mythic Systems - Philosopher, Technologist, Artist
Professional Background
Michael Gaio is a distinguished entrepreneur and polymath whose work resides at the intersection of various disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, technology, and art. With more than two decades of experience in digital media and consciousness research, Michael operates with a transdisciplinary approach, seeking to integrate deep philosophical inquiries with the significance of technology in contemporary society. As the founder of Mythic Systems, he leads a dedicated research and development organization that focuses on creating evolutionary experiences aimed at transforming human potential, enhancing collective intelligence, and progressing the evolution of culture, communications, and consciousness.
Throughout his extensive career, Michael has produced over 100 digital projects that support ecological, sociological, psycho-spiritual, and culturally creative initiatives. He boasts a robust portfolio that includes collaborations with high-profile institutions such as Autodesk, Harvard University, Dolby, and the Buckminster Fuller Institute. These partnerships have allowed him to co-create groundbreaking initiatives that merge art and technology in innovative ways, reflecting his commitment to collective growth and societal enhancement.
Michael thrives on harnessing the potential of emerging technologies like blockchain and transformative technology, making him an early blockchain and cryptocurrency investor. His work not only encapsulates artistic expression but is also underpinned by a scientific understanding of human consciousness and behavior, making him a unique voice in the fields of design and systems development.
Education and Achievements
Michael earned his Master’s degree in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), where he focused on ancient human history, archetypal psychology, and the evolution of consciousness. Before this, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Creative Writing from Pacific University and completed a Counseling Certificate at the Interchange Counseling Institute. Adding to his diverse educational background, he studied Social Sustainability at the Solstice Grove Institute, further informing his integrative approach to the challenges that society faces today.
Michael’s academic pursuits are complemented by his extensive professional history, which spans various roles in creative and technical development. His prominence in the fields of User Experience Design (UX), Interaction Design (IxD), User Interface Design (UI), Information Design (ID), and Information Architecture (IA) is evidenced by his successful engagements with numerous organizations.
Some of his notable previous positions include:
- Technology and Design Director at Radish, where he honed his technical and creative skills on cutting-edge projects.
- Inventor and Project Director at both DataTemple and HOLOSYS, driving innovation and technological advancement.
- Freelance Creative Director and UX/UI Designer at Gaio Productions, showcasing his prowess in creative and technical direction.
In total, Michael has held various influential roles across a multitude of esteemed organizations, working as a technical director, designer, and project director. Having collaborated with educational institutions, non-profits, and innovative tech companies, he continuously demonstrates a commitment to leveraging technology and art to foster human development and consciousness.
Achievements
Michael’s endeavors have not only led to the development of numerous innovative projects but have also contributed significantly to conversations about the future of technology and human experience. His contributions have been recognized across different fields, particularly in the realms of digital media, advanced technologies, and transdisciplinary research.
As an international speaker, Michael shares his insights about the intersections of psychology, technology, and art, bridging gaps between these critical areas. Whether presenting at academic conferences or workshops, he emphasizes the importance of collective intelligence and the transformation necessary for human advancement.
In addition to his prominent role at Mythic Systems, which has garnered recognition for its unique approach to research and development, his extensive collaborative work with renowned institutions showcases not only his creative talents but also his ability to foster partnerships that lead to impactful outcomes. Michael’s commitment to creating designs and systems that nurture and actualize human potential continues to drive his work and the evolution of his projects.
Furthermore, his ongoing engagement with transformative technologies and blockchain exemplifies his forward-thinking approach, ensuring he remains at the forefront of innovation. Michael's ability to connect diverse concepts and skills illustrates the essence of a true transdisciplinary artist and thought leader, making significant contributions that transcend traditional boundaries.
Through his cross-disciplinary expertise, Michael Gaio continues to inspire and educate audiences about the potential for transformative change, leaving a lasting impact on the cultures and communities he engages with.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Clay is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Clay as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Clay offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Clay isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Clay instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Clay is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Clay can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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