Michael Tyohannes Gebre

About Michael Tyohannes Gebre

1forAI exists because I kept seeing world-class researchers and engineering talent under negotiate their offers, not due to lack of ability, but due to lack of information. Employers have compensation infrastructure, acceptance deadlines, internal precedent, and candidate pipelines on their side. Candidates often have one to two offers, competing timelines with short deadlines, and no reliable way to validate what their True Impact Value, or TIV, should be.That asymmetry shapes everything, especially at the top of the market. High compensation packages are not decided by merit alone. They are decided by leverage, collaboration, and how well you structure the process. When you accept below-market compensation or the wrong level, the impact compounds for years through equity, refreshers, and future negotiating power. Even in a strong culture, compensation misalignment eventually becomes friction, particularly when peers are earning materially more for comparable scope.Today, 1forAI advises talent from new grad PhDs, and postdocs through senior leadership. We support• Research Scientists and Applied Scientists (L4 and above)• Machine Learning Engineers (L4 and above)• Research Engineers and Software Engineers, including Senior, Staff, Principal, and Distinguished levels• Engineering Managers and Senior Engineering Managers (M0 to M2)• Directors, VPs, and executive leadership in select cases (D1, D2, VP of Research, VP of Engineering, VP of Tech, CTO)We advise a structured, calm negotiation process geared toward win-win outcomes. We calibrate True Impact Value (TIV), benchmark packages, set equity and refresher strategy, and coach recruiter and hiring manager communication. We also support deadline extensions and multi-offer timeline planning so you can make decisions with leverage and clarity.Our mission is simple: reduce information asymmetry so you can negotiate your TIV. If you are approaching an offer, evaluating one, or navigating competing timelines, reach out.

Experience

1. Head of Compensation Strategy

   1forai

   Oct 2025 — Present · Berkeley, CA, US

   Lead structured compensation strategy and direct negotiation support for technical talent on the AI frontier, spanning AI Researchers and Scientists, Applied Scientists, and Senior Software Engineers. Scope covers L4 through M2.• Operate as a dedicated Offer Negotiation and Strategy Agent through the offer lifecycle, from recruiter screen to signed 4 year package• Execute negotiation plans across level, scope, base, bonus, sign on, equity, refreshers, location, remote terms, and start date• Position True Impact Value to support level calibration, strengthen equity cases, and prevent under scoping that constrains growth• Build relationship safe scripts and messaging for each round, including recruiter emails, call talking points, counters, and BAFO strategy• Manage timelines, deadlines, and extensions so candidates retain leverage without disclosures• Run offer review and package modeling to quantify multi year value, two year delta, and tradeoffs across competing processes• Provide live prep and decision support to reduce stress, increase clarity, and protect credibility