Michael Hopkins

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT MICHAEL HOPKINS

I build the future through products.Not just designing them.Not just investing in them.Building the systems that allow them to scale.I operate at the intersection of design, capital, and execution. Creating platforms that help hardware-based companies move from idea to production to sustained revenue.At the core is Brooks Stevens Design, one of America’s original industrial design firms. We work with founders, mid-market OEMs, and operators to turn product vision into manufacturable reality.Around that, I’m building a broader ecosystem:• A hardware venture studio that accelerates product-based startups• Proprietary product brands that we launch and scale ourselves• A holding company structure designed for long-term value creationDesign is the lever.Operations are the engine.Ownership is the outcome.I believe the next generation of great companies won’t separate design from strategy, or product from business model. They’ll be integrated from day one.My focus is simple:Build enduring product companies.Back visionary founders.Create scalable systems that outlast any single project.If you’re building something real, something physical, and want to do it intelligently, let’s talk.My founding story: It was my first week at my DREAM JOB after college at Harley-Davidson and I realized I had made a huge mistake. I toured the “secret” design studio where design idols Willie G. Davidson and Louis Netz appeared to be collaborating with others. “This is what I want to do” I stated. “You’re an engineer; this is the industrial design team. This is a totally different skill set.” I was told. And I instantly felt like a fool. I didn’t know Industrial Design existed. But, I knew I would commit myself to being a part of it moving forward. I wanted to be on the other side of the glass.Growing up, if you said you wanted to create inspiring physical products full of wonder and elegance, you were told to be an engineer. So, I got an engineering degree. But I am a designer. And you’re a designer. And the best organizations integrate thoughtful design into every aspect of the way they operate.Because DESIGN MATTERS. Design is the last competitive advantage. It is what makes some products take off and others stall, independent of technical capability.