Welcome.

I'm Mike Skirpan — a thought leader based in Pittsburgh working at the intersection of technology, ethics, community building, and creativity. This website acts as an introduction to my work (that mostly occurs IRL), and a place to share my perennial impulse to write. You'll find I like to think, write, and do things that improve how we live with each other and technology. Many people seem to enjoy my public speaking and teaching so if that could be of use to you, please reach out!

Executive Director & Co-founder, Community Forge Associate Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon Writer, Educator, Ethicist, Community Builder, Organizational Leader
Michael Skirpan
01 — Community Building

A Living Example of Community Development Working for All.

Executive Director & Co-Founder · Community Forge

We took a once-abandoned 45,000 sq ft elementary school and turned it into a community resource. No developers, no trust funds, just sweat equity and caring relationships. As many great partners got on board including our local government and philanthropy, we're happy to now employ 30+ locals and welcome over 3000 people into our community each year.

Our theory of change is that the economy can work for everyone when we build it intentionally and through community relationships. Our programs focus on: Cultivated and inclusive social capital; Accessible pathways into the econonmy; Teaching the tools of the future; Tending to the wellness of the individuals in our community.

→ Visit forge.community
Community Forge Community Forge
02 — Education

Inspiring ethics into those who will build the future.

Associate Teaching Professor · Carnegie Mellon University

While my PhD is in computer science, I found my philosophical roots were too strong to ignore. My research started at the intersection of classroom education and machine learning and ended up looking at how we model risk and meaningfully communicate about the ethical challenges of emerging technologies.

Nowadays I'm a teaching faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, jointly appointed in Software and Societal Systems and Electrical and Computer Engineering. I teach courses, design curriculum, and run debates and dialogues that aim to teach students how to practically grapple with and act on our technologies such that they intentionally embed human values, do less harm, and help more people. I also work with the Open Forum for AI on how to create AI systems that train critical thinking skills (not just do your homework!)

→ Research & Writing
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie Mellon
03 — Writing

Crafting Words and Worlds that Help Us Think About the Future.

Writer · Essays, fiction, immersive theater, political musings, & more

I write essays on democracy, ethics, and technology — and build immersive theatre, like Project Amelia, that turns abstract questions about AI and data into something an audience can stand inside and feel.

The throughline is the same as everything else: making big, slippery ideas legible and lived.

→ My Writing→ My Blog
Project Amelia Project Amelia
Get in touch

Say hello.

For speaking, workshops, collaboration, or just to talk through an idea, please do reach out. Use the form or one of the email addresses on the contact page.

→ Open the contact page