Michael J. Laine

Bio

President, LiftPort Group - The Elevator to Space. My priorities = Space Based Solar Power, Lunar Development, Venture Capital, Nano/Clean/RoboTechs Michael J. Laine is 40 years old. In his professional path he has: run a lemonade stand, mowed grass, dug post holes, picked apples, shoveled sheep manure, roofed barns, flipped burgers, washed dishes. He has taught hand-to-hand combat, led parades and burial ceremonies in the United States Marine Corps. Laine has been a licensed investment advisor for stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, and insurance. He was personally responsible for $4M of other people's money, and had an advisory role on another $40M. Laine built an Internet company from 0 to 24 people, and lost $300,000 doing it. Laine ran a very successful real estate management company for 12 years making a 600% return on investment. He has been an active part of the commercial space sector for 6 years now, working on a variety of interesting projects. At the conclusion of a NASA study on Space Elevators (were he was a significant part of the research team) he founded LiftPort Group – the company dedicated to the commercial development of the (controversial) Elevator to Space. He is fully committed to finding a safe, cheap and reliable means of mass-cargo/mass-transit to space. His personal and company motto is "Change the world, or go home". Laine studied Business Administration with a concentration on marketing at Boston University. He has edited one book, and contributed chapters to six. He is often a guest lecturer, having given hundreds of talks on the Space Elevator, advanced technologies and Internet technologies to Congressmen, generals, students and local community groups. He is regularly featured in the media, and is involved with many space-related projects. He writes professionally and for fun. Laine is genetically related to the American pioneers/explorers Daniel Boone, and Meriwether Lewis. Exploring the far horizon is in his blood.