MESA Mentors bring deep experience, practical insight, and a genuine desire to help founders succeed. Mike Thyken is a longtime technology and business leader who now channels decades of experience into supporting Minnesota startups.
Tell us a little about your background, Mike.
I’ve spent more than 35 years in technology and software leadership roles across a wide range of companies and industries. My career has included CIO, CTO, and leadership roles at organizations such as Target, Jostens, Sleep Number, Merrill Corporation, IBM, SunOpta, CaringBridge, and Agile Frameworks. While I haven’t written code in decades, I still have a deep understanding of technology and what it really takes to build, scale, secure, and support software products.
I’ve worked with both large enterprises and high-growth companies, and I’ve also been directly involved in startup environments. In one case, I launched a company that didn’t succeed. We learned early that our go-to-market assumptions were wrong, which saved us both time and capital. However, I wished I had someone with startup experience to give me advice, which might have either gotten us on the right path from the start or kept us from going down a dead end. In another situation with Agile Frameworks, I helped bring internal intellectual property from a larger organization to market as a startup venture. The experience gave me a front-row seat to what it takes to build a market, evolve a product, and make the small but critical pivots that growing companies must navigate.
How long have you been a MESA Mentor, and why did you decide to become a mentor?
I’ve been a MESA Mentor for about two and a half years. I was introduced to MESA through Isaac Cheivetz, who encouraged me to get involved after I retired from CaringBridge.
One of my strong beliefs is that we need more technology companies in our region if we want a vibrant, growing economy. It’s hard to attract established tech companies to move here, so we need to grow them locally. Mentoring through MESA is a meaningful way to support that.
I also enjoy working with founders at the stage where even a small insight or question can make a big difference. Sometimes just offering a new perspective or helping someone think through a challenge can help set them on a better path.
Are there any highlights from your experience working with MESA Mentees?
One highlight has been working with Raise a Hood. I was initially drawn in by the technology and the company’s use of AI, but what’s really stood out is founder Michael Petersen’s coachability and openness to feedback. He consistently seeks outside perspectives, takes input seriously, and his willingness to make thoughtful pivots.
More broadly, I enjoy helping mentees align their technology ambitions with practical realities. Founders are often understandably optimistic about timelines and effort. I can help them think through what it truly takes to build scalable, secure, high-quality systems — and how those technical realities tie back to business strategy, burn rate, and runway.
What keeps you involved? What do you get out of being a MESA Mentor?
It’s incredibly rewarding to see even small wins — like a clearer strategy, a better decision, and early traction. When you start to see a company gain momentum, it’s a great feeling to know you may have helped in some small way.
I also learn a lot myself. MESA has an exceptionally deep bench of mentors with expertise across industries and functions. If a mentee has a challenge outside my core strengths, I can connect them with another mentor who’s an expert in that area. That collaborative model is powerful and keeps the experience engaging for me as well.
What would you say to others about MESA?
MESA is still something of a hidden gem. Many startups could benefit from this kind of experienced, unbiased guidance, especially as they move beyond the early stages and focus seriously on go-to-market, scaling, and operational maturity.
MESA’s strength is the breadth and depth of its mentors. No matter the industry or challenge, there’s usually someone in the network who has seen and done something similar before. That kind of practical, real-world support can make a meaningful difference in a company’s trajectory.
For founders ready to grow and for experienced tech leaders looking to give back, MESA is an incredible community to be part of.
