FORT PIERCE, Fla. — He spent two decades working at Apple with some of the biggest visionaries in the tech world.
Now, Michael Hageloh is bringing that global knowledge to Indian River State College.
He was just appointed to the new post of VP of Strategic Initiatives, a position he said puts him at the crossroads of technology and education.
“Technology is just a tool. My job is to help you get to where you want to be on your individual journey with my tool," Hageloh said Tuesday.
Hageloh spent two decades at Apple, closing a billion dollars in sales, while working primarily with colleges around the country.
He wants to incorporate business world tools into student lives.
"Into entrepreneurship, since everybody has to be an entrepreneur these days," he said. "Entrepreneurship isn't a thing. It's a state of mind."
He's also bringing a mantra of his from Silicon Valley to St. Lucie County.
"I always say this: It's not what it is, it's what could be," Hageloh said.
This new hire comes on the heels of other big news on campus.
Last month, ground was broken on a new advanced workforce training complex. The school also received a $45 million one-time donation to the school from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest single donation to the school in its 60-year history.
Hageloh said his role will be to also contact companies locally to work with the college, and nationally, to talk about relocation.
"It comes down to high-wage jobs," he said. "It comes down to our product in higher ed, which is the student."
