Michael Gaio

Current

Founder, Director at Jalaka
Freelance Flash Developer at Self-Employed

Past

Senior Flash Designer & Developer at Hologenesis
Founding Member, Internet Strategist at Species Alliance
Primary Flash Instructor at Center for Electronic Arts (CEA)

Virtual Reality Instructor at PCS Edventures / VR Quest

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Education

Solstice Grove Institute
California Institute of Integral Studies
Pacific University

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Recommended

11 people have recommended Michael

Connections

125 connections

Industry

Internet

Michael Gaio’s Summary

I'm an evolutionary social entrepreneur, interaction designer, experience designer, information architect, ontological engineer, philosopher, archetypal cosmologist, noospheric researcher, inventor, and multimedia artist.

PURPOSE: to inform, involve, and inspire evolution in culture, communications, and consciousness.

MISSION: to design, develop, and innovative web projects for collective intelligence and social evolution.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

I am a multi-disciplined interactive designer and developer. I have worked in interactive media primarily within the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) market for the past eleven (11) years honing multiple talents in Flash Visual Design, Animation, Interaction Design, User Interface Design, Information Architecture, ActionScript Programming, Development, and Innovation for social evolution. I've produced over 100 projects primarily in support of ecological, sociological, or culturally creative organizations and initiatives, such as:

• Harvard University's Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHGE)
• the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)
• the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)
• the Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI)
• United Nations World Environment Day
• Julia Butterfly's Hill's Circle of Life
• EarthDance International
• PlanetWork
• Duane Elgin's Awakening Earth
• Dave Ellis' Leadership Training
• Richard Tarnas' Cosmos and Psyche
• AutoDesk

TEACHING:

I have conducted classes on Virtual Reality development to grade-school children, and instructed a full series of Flash design and programming courses at the Center for Electronic Arts in San Francisco.

ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVES:

I have initiated multiple innovative entrepreneurial projects that combine principles in Information Technology, Transpersonal Psychology, and Archetypal Cosmology to promote social evolution (projects in development).

Michael Gaio’s Specialties:

Consultation, Creative Direction, Conceptual Design, Branding, Web Design & Development, Information Architecture, Information Design, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Flash Animation & Applications, ActionScript Programming, CMS, Story Boarding, 3D modeling, Social Marketing, Social Media, Viral Marketing Promotion, Blog Optimization, Data Visualization, Metaverse / Virtual Reality, Semantic & Ontological Engineering, Internet Trends (Web 1.0, Web 2.0, Web 3.0)

Michael Gaio’s Experience

Founder, Director

Jalaka

(Internet industry)

January 2005 — Present (4 years 11 months)

Created e-commerce website business providing innovative Flash applications, widgets, and games intended for social evolution. Products include applications for conceptual mapping, geo-spacial network mapping, cosmological mapping, time mapping, and geometry-based games. I conducted overall design and programming, and directed other technicians in some advanced programming development.
Freelance Flash Developer

Self-Employed

(Internet industry)

January 1998 — Present (11 years 11 months)

Flash Interaction Designer, Information Architect, Programmer, Internet Consultant. Directed, designed, and developed over 100 web projects in support of ecological, sociological, and culturally creative organizations and initiatives. Clients include: Harvard University’s Center for Health and the Global Environment, the United Nations World Environment Day, the Buckminster Fuller Institute, the California Institute of Integral Studies, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, AutoDesk, and more. Produced a diverse range of web-based interactive artifacts ranging from thematic user interfaces, to data visualizations, to conceptual models, to rich internet applications.
Senior Flash Designer & Developer

Hologenesis

(Internet industry)

August 2007 — January 2008 (6 months)

Worked in a team environment for a progressive start-up company to produce innovative Flash prototype applications. Applied extensive Object-Oriented Programming in ActionScript 3.0 to create compelling and visually navigable 2D and 3D representations involving semantic search results.
Founding Member, Internet Strategist

Species Alliance

(Media Production industry)

October 2003 — January 2007 (3 years 4 months)

Founding member of group of scholars and professionals involved in a multi-tiered media project to bring greater public awareness to the current mass extinction of species and imminent loss of global biodiversity. Volunteered technical consultation and development skills within a team environment to bring greater public awareness to the current mass extinction of species and imminent loss of global biodiversity. Role included web mastering, design, Flash programming, technical and creative direction, and consultation in internet strategies. Overall group effort has resulted in quality website and movie preview.
Primary Flash Instructor

Center for Electronic Arts (CEA)

(Internet industry)

September 2002 — November 2002 (3 months)

Conducted a full series of six courses in Flash web design, animation, and ActionScript programming. Created curriculums, exercises, and presented materials for intermediate to advanced classes of students.
Virtual Reality Instructor

PCS Edventures / VR Quest

(E-Learning industry)

June 1998 — August 1998 (3 months)

Facilitated multiple classrooms of grade school students in learning, designing, and producing Virtual Reality (VR) environments. Projects were developed around solving real-world critical ecological and sociological scenarios. Instruction was based on a curriculum promoting teamwork, problem solving, and production skills.

Michael Gaio’s Education

Solstice Grove Institute

Community Dynamics 1999 — 2007

Activities and Societies:

A live-in “alumni” community member of the Solstice Grove sustainable community. Participated in experiences involving community dynamics, advanced interpersonal communications, and organic collaboration.
California Institute of Integral Studies

MA , Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness (PCC) , 2003 — 2006

Focused on ancient western history, archetypal cosmology, and consciousness studies.

Activities and Societies:

Species Alliance - Multi-tiered media project
Pacific University

BA , Literature, Creative Writing, Psychology , 1989 — 1992

Activities and Societies:

Editor of Creative Writing for University Publication Journal, “The Milk of Paradise” (1991).
Distinguished University Annual Poet (1991).
Theater Performance: 1989 - 1992

Additional Information

Michael Gaio’s Interests:

Collective Intelligence, Complex Systems, Cognitive Science, Design Science, Visual Language, Projective Geometry, Geodesics, Bio-Mimicry, Informatics, Flash Interface Philosophy, Conceptual Spaces, Dynamic Visualization, Synesthesia, Pattern Languages, Semantic Web, Mobile Social Software, Social Networks, Game Theory, Language Processing, Cognitive Semantics, Ontological Engineering, Symbolic Systems, Memetics, Transpersonal Psychology, Archetypal Cosmology, Ancient History, Noospheric Studies, Synchronicity.

Michael Gaio’s Groups:

HFI Connect: the User Experience Community, Interaction Design Association (IxDA), Archetypal Research Collective (ARC), The Resonance Project Foundation, Species Alliance