Michael Bervell

Michael Bervell is a Ghanaian-American entrepreneur, angel investor, and author whose work focuses on technology, digital accessibility, and social impact. Bervell graduated from Harvard College with a degree in philosophy and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Before attending business school, he worked as an investor at M12, Microsoft’s venture capital fund, focusing on early-stage technology companies, and served as chief of staff at Databook. He also gained experience as an accessibility consultant at Google and the United Nations, which informed his approach to inclusive technology solutions.

Bervell co-founded TestParty with Jason Tan to address global digital accessibility regulations, including the European Accessibility Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. TestParty’s AI-powered platform automates accessibility testing, training, remediation, and monitoring, supporting developers in creating web experiences accessible to individuals with physical and situational disabilities. The company raised a $4 million seed round co-led by Harlem Capital and Urban Innovation Fund, and has been recognized as a disruptive force among MBA-founded startups.

Bervell is the author of "Unlocking Unicorns," a book that explores the stories, habits, and lessons of billion-dollar startup founders in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The book was a finalist for the Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award. Bervell also writes the blog "Billion Dollar Startup Ideas," which has received over 800,000 impressions from readers in more than 150 countries. His research includes serving as head research assistant on a Harvard Business School working paper examining the effects of artificial intelligence on knowledge worker productivity and quality.

Since founding the international nonprofit Hugs For as a sixth grader, Bervell has served as executive director, overseeing the delivery of material and monetary donations to hospitals, orphanages, and schools in Ghana and expanding operations to six countries. Hugs For has raised over $500,000 and impacted more than 300,000 youth globally. Bervell received the National Caring Award for this work. He has also served as an elected director of the Harvard Alumni Association and as president of the Harvard Club of Seattle.

Bervell is a frequent speaker on artificial intelligence, digital inclusion, and entrepreneurship, presenting at venues such as the New York City Bar Association and the RALLY Innovation conference. He has contributed to making more than $500 million of global e-commerce more accessible. Bervell’s work emphasizes integrating digital accessibility into the software development lifecycle, offering insights at the intersection of technology, accessibility, and entrepreneurship.