Michael Harley was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, and enjoyed sports, reading, and spending time with family growing up. Attending Loyola High School, Michael was first introduced to the Jesuit concept of, “Magis” while performing volunteer hours at an elementary school.  From an early age, Michael knew he wanted to make an impact on the community and the people around him. Always yearning for a desire to expand his understanding of the world, Michael ventured to the University of Hawaii in August of 2001 to complete a bachelor’s degree in English.

Upon earning his degree, Michael was commissioned into the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry. After completing various military training schools, Michael deployed overseas twice where he led soldiers in combat and peacekeeping missions. He left the military with the rank of Captain in 2010, his awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, bronze star, meritorious service medal, Ranger Tab, and Airborne wings among others.

After leaving military service, Michael embarked on a career in emergency medicine. He worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (E.M.T.) and also as a Certified Nurse Assistant (C.N.A.) in Los Angeles before venturing into the field of providing support to people with neurodiversity Michael’s journey in this field began in August 2011 when he began working as an independent living skills instructor. In a short time, it became clear that he had found his new calling.

Seeing a need for qualified vendors to provide services to the neurodiverse population in the Los Angeles area and having the belief that his background experience and knowledge could bring a new service design concept to the people he supports, Michael partnered with Shannon Hahn to launch Level Up Solutions in 2015.

Since then, he has assisted in the development of agency policies, procedures, and life skills curriculum as well as building community and strategic business relationships. Michael is able to combine a unique blend of direct experience and analysis to craft unique service plans that speak to the needs and desires of the people he supports. Always a team player focused on shared results, mutual respect, and inclusion, Michael prides himself on collaborating and building teams and crafting the agency service design. He holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) from Creighton University. Any day you can find him teaching in a classroom, meeting with concerned support circles, or interacting with the people he supports.