Michael Goguen – Philanthropist in Whitefish, Montana

The Rise of a Business Leader and Philanthropist

Michael Goguen was born and raised in a family of modest economic means in Bedford, Massachusetts. Although his family didn’t have a lot of money growing up, his mother and father inspired him with their incredible work ethic.

Consistent with the values that his parents instilled in him at a young age, Michael Goguen embarked on a journey and became a prominent venture capitalist and a dedicated philanthropist. Knowing that he would never reach his full potential without a quality education at reputable institutions of higher learning, he completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University and his graduate studies at Stanford University.

Beginning his career in electrical engineering, he worked for roughly a decade in the tech industry for companies such as DEC, SynOptics and Centillion. After expanding his professional purview to encompass various research and product management responsibilities, he began assuming a broad spectrum of leadership posts such as a director of engineering at Bay Networks, and a technical chairman at the ATM Forum. One of his most impressive accomplishments as an electrical engineer was developing a two-layer switch that served as an essential building block of the Internet.

Expansion into the Tech Sector Angel Investing

Michael Goguen entered the world of investment finance and business administration in 1996, joining the leading venture capital firm Sequoia Capital in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over his 20 years at Sequoia, he grew and managed a diverse portfolio of investments, but he primarily concentrated on funding innovative startups in the energy and technology sectors.

Currently worth more than $6 billion, Sequoia Capital benefited immensely fromGoguen’s outstanding initiative and expertise. His most notable activities while working in the tech investment space through Sequoia include spearheading the initial public offering of the top cybersecurity company FireEye and leading the prominent computer systems company Virident Systems to a $685 million exit.

The Michael Goguen of Today

Since parting ways with Sequoia, Michael Goguen has remained a leading venture capitalist with a penchant for identifying and partnering with the most advanced tech startups in Silicon Valley. He presently lives in Whitefish, Montana, a quiet resort town just north of the city of Kalispell.

Goguen operates his own venture capital and private equity firm under the name Two Bear Capital. He also co-owns the certified organic Two Bear Farm and sits on the board of directors for multiple companies including Inimmune, Graphiant, Elisity, and pulseData.

A Diverse Array of Charitable Activity and Community Outreach

Beyond his considerable and multifaceted business interests, Michael Goguen is an active philanthropist who values his community. He vice-chairs the board of trustees for Logan Health and sits on the board of directors of the anti-human trafficking organization DeliverFund. He also provides critical financial support to several charities including Code Girls, a program that provides free computer programming instruction to young girls from nine to thirteen years old.

In addition to his involvement with existing community and charitable organizations, Michael Goguen has made contributions to the region by establishing multiple public service providers of his own. One of these service providers, the Two Bear Therapeutic Riding Center, uses horseback riding to further the capabilities and improve the lives of people with special needs. The center has nurtured its participants by enhancing their abilities to communicate and connect.

Two Bear Air Rescue

Perhaps the most visible and influential of Goguen’s philanthropic ventures is Two Bear Air Rescue. As the sole funder and founder of this helicopter rescue team, he has saved the lives of hundreds of wilderness explorers. To date, Two Bear Air has performed more than 600 search-and-rescue missions throughout the state of Montana and parts of Idaho.

In 2020, ABC FOX Montana released a featured story on Two Bear Air and mountain climber Paul Cioffi who was saved from a life-threatening situation. After Michael Goguen and Two Bear Air safely evacuated the climber from the side of a cliff, Cioffi was quoted as saying, “I don’t want to cry, but it’s really cool that what he does – it saved my life… it saved my life.”

In fact, ABC FOX Montana compared Michael Goguen to Bruce Wayne, the billionaire philanthropist who transforms into the superhero Batman in times of need. Instead of a mask and cape, Goguen saves lives from the air in partnership with pilot Jim Bob Pierce and Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry.

The Flathead Valley Warming Center

One of Michael Goguen’s most recent community outreach elements culminated in the grand opening of Kalispell’s new Flathead Valley Warming Center on October 16, 2021. He donated $650,000 of the $750,000 needed to cover extensive renovations to the property, transforming it into a highly serviceable temporary shelter for the residents who so desperately need it.

Flathead Valley Warming Center executive director Tonya Horn reported that the facility served more than 200 people over the last year. With renovations complete and the center officially reopened, she expects to serve considerably larger numbers in the years to come.

Kalispell community member BrodiVerworn praises the new Flathead Valley Warming Center and the “amazing philanthropic network here in the Flathead.” He adds that with “everybody stepping up like this, we shouldn’t have to have people sleeping out in the cold.”

The co-founder of the Flathead Valley Warming Center Luke Heffernan lists the incredible contributing factors that led to the center’s creation, “The time, the resources and the money, lots of donations, lots of sacrifices from the community. It’s taken a village, man, and it’s incredible how much people have come through. It’s blown my mind.”

Michael Goguen Honored for His Contributions

Reflecting on his contributions to the Flathead Valley Warming Center, Michael Goguen was on hand to serve as the honorary ribbon cutter for its grand opening in Kalispell. This honor speaks to Goguen’s outstanding dedication to social good and human welfare which has persisted over the course of his adult life.