Mike Wasserman

Growing up, two things were clear to Mike’s parents: First, Mike enjoyed being creative and loved art. Second, Mike had a wildly independent streak. Too often, good advice was often ignored in favor of learning the “hard way”. Fortunately, Mike listened when his father said “do something you love, you’ll be good at it, and most likely make money doing it”. Mike nourished his creative side at Ohio University where he received a BFA in photography in 2005. He leveraged his independent nature at Cleveland State University where earned a MBA in 2013. 

When Mike first learned about/visited Kalman & Pabst Photo Group (KP Photo), he learned that the founders, Jan & Bob, created a place that cared about people, fostered creativity, and encouraged independent thinking – it was a perfect fit! Mike joined the KP Photo family in 2005 as a photo assistant, then as a photographer, and later grew into a producer role. Mike, with his business partner, Craig Brown, purchased KP Photo in 2014. Since then, they have worked with the KP team to uphold the studio founders' ideals, while steering KP through incredible technological change. 

Mike’s spends slightly less time learning the hard way and tries to help others to do the same.  

What do you do during your ”5 to 9” (After work)?

Think creatively, find the positive, be optimistic, learn in any given situation, and try to be a little ridiculous.

What is your quirkiest trait?

I’m an artist, but I become outwardly enthusiastic and excited by the prospect of gleaning knowledge from data in a spreadsheet.

What inspires you?

To start: Road trips, being outside, learning, challenging the status quo, thinking big, listening to smart people talk idealistically, making real progress, dreaming, open-mindedness, taking the high road, stories of people overcoming great odds…If you want to know the rest you’ll have to take me out for coffee.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I love to completely disconnect from phones and computers, to binge watch slightly aberrant TV and movies.

What would be your superhero power?

Oh dear…Reality Warping.

Worst fashion choice?

Thats easy, I rocked the late 80’s to early 90’s style silk button down shirts in grade school.

My grandfather’s service in WWII as a bazooka man with the 82nd Airborn Division.