Mark Johnson

Developing Software for Fortune® 500 and High-Growth Companies | Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Michigan Software Labs | Forbes Technology and Fast Company Executive Board

Mark spends his time talking with leaders who feel growing pressure to modernize, but aren’t convinced the next move is the right one yet.

Across hundreds of conversations with CEOs, CIOs, VPs, and executives, he sees a familiar pattern: internal teams are stretched thin, legacy systems are holding things back, and there’s no shortage of ideas. But there is plenty of uncertainty about where to invest, what to tackle first, and how much risk is acceptable. Too often, organizations move quickly into execution before they’re aligned on the real problem they’re trying to solve.

As co-founder of Michigan Software Labs, Mark’s role sits early in that decision journey. He helps leaders slow down just enough to clarify what matters and determine whether moving forward actually makes sense. When there is a clear opportunity, MichiganLabs’ senior strategy, design, and engineering teams carry that clarity through execution.

Mark brings perspective shaped by both entrepreneurship and long-term relationship building. He serves on the Board of Directors for The Economic Club of Grand Rapids and has been recognized as one of the Grand Rapids 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders and a Grand Rapids Business Journal 40 Under 40.

He enjoys helping organizations avoid costly missteps and make digital investments they can stand behind, and this focus is deeply personal.

Mark comes from a family of builders. His great-grandfather founded Forslund Furniture Company in 1935 and grew it through craftsmanship, storytelling, and enduring relationships. Mark sees MichiganLabs as a modern extension of that legacy: different tools, but the same commitment to doing good work with care.

Outside of work, Mark is a husband and father of four daughters. Evenings are often spent playing dress-up or princess, and he enjoys tennis, golf, ping-pong, and staying active in his church and local tech community.

Managing Partner

Michigan Software Labs develops custom mobile, web, and Internet of Things (IoT) software for clients ranging from locally owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Recognized as a leader in UX/UI design, with millions of end users to date, Michigan Software Labs was named one of the Top UX Design Companies in the U.S. by Clutch and the Inc. Best Places to Work Award.

Impact Investor- Serial Entrepreneur- Passionate about Impact, Remote Living, Transformation and AI

Building Tomorrow's Companies While Others Study Yesterday's Playbooks

Two decades building breakthrough technologies across 4 continents. Currently managing €60M portfolio in solutions that didn't exist in business school curricula.

From turning waste into power in Nigeria and Ethiopia to competing with German aerospace centers from Bali - I've learned that the biggest opportunities hide where others won't look.

The pattern I keep seeing: Most business thinking is designed for a world that no longer exists.

While institutions optimize for yesterday's metrics, the real builders focus on tomorrow's reality:

•
AI amplifies humans, it doesn't replace them

•
Environment dictates innovation (geography is strategy, not lifestyle)

•
Crisis-proof means antifragile, not just resilient

•
The future belongs to those who build it, not those who predict it

After managing programs funded by Kleiner Perkins and Wellington Partners, then watching entire industries get disrupted, one thing became clear: Everything changes faster than institutions can adapt.

The most interesting conversations happen with leaders who understand this shift and want to build accordingly.

What fascinates me most? How the next generation will navigate a world where traditional playbooks are obsolete.

Julien Uhlig

Charisma may inspire but clarity is what builds lasting impact.

In today’s leadership culture, we often celebrate personalities over systems. The result? Teams that rely on individuals instead of direction, momentum without measurable outcomes, and execution that breaks under pressure.

At Ex Venture, we believe strategic clarity matters more than charismatic leadership. Clear goals, repeatable systems, and shared understanding are what turn vision into execution and ideas into results.

Because great leadership isn’t about being followed.
It’s about creating direction others can sustain.

#ExVenture
#LeadershipStrategy
#StrategicClarity
#ModernLeadership

Building and Re-Building Great Technology Companies. Transformational Coach, Tech Investor, Venture Builder and Educator at EX Venture Academy.

Cold plunges are not a trend.
 They’re a discipline tool.

Cold exposure has been shown to increase dopamine levels, improve stress tolerance, and enhance mental clarity.

But beyond the physiological benefits, the real advantage is psychological:
You train yourself to stay calm under stress.

Entrepreneurs, leaders, and high performers operate under pressure daily.
 The ability to regulate your nervous system is a competitive advantage.

#Leadership #HighPerformance #MentalResilience #Entrepreneurship

Comfort feels safe.
 But comfort kills growth.

Real progress starts when things feel uncomfortable.

If you stay comfortable, you stay average.
Growth requires discomfort.
 Success demands discipline.

Are you choosing comfort or progress?

#growthmindset #selfimprovement #entrepreneurship #discipline

Focus is becoming a rare asset.

In business and leadership, the ability to execute deep work without distraction creates disproportionate results.

The Focus Protocol is simple:
 • Structured time blocking
 • Notification elimination
 • Energy management
 • Clear priority hierarchy
 • Single-task execution

High performers don’t multitask, they execute with precision.

#Leadership #Productivity #DeepWork #Entrepreneurship

Comfort is the enemy of growth.

Comfort feels safe.
Comfort feels familiar.
But comfort slowly kills your potential.

Nothing meaningful is built in comfort.
Growth requires pressure.
Progress requires discomfort.

If you always choose what’s easy, you delay who you could become.

Discomfort isn’t punishment it’s the price of growth.

Choose growth over comfort.
Every time.

#ComfortIsTheEnemy
#GetOutOfYourComfortZone
#PersonalGrowth
#SelfImprovement

The idea of the solo founder is one of the biggest myths in the startup world.

Early stage success isn’t built on doing everything alone, it’s built on hands-on execution, clear ownership, and systems that actually move the business forward. Vision matters, but without consistent execution, even the strongest ideas collapse under pressure.

At Ex Venture, we believe founders win not by being heroes, but by building teams, processes, and execution habits that scale. Because startups don’t fail from lack of ideas, they fail from broken execution.

#ExVenture
#StartupFounders
#ExecutionOverIdeas
#HandsOnLeadership

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The Battle

Mark Johnson

Julien Uhlig

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taplio

The Battle

Mark Johnson

Julien Uhlig

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Julien Uhlig's LinkedIn Performance

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