Mike Browne: From Kindness on the Field to Innovation Online

Mike Browne’s path blends sports, creativity, family, and technology, all shaped by a commitment to kindness. Raised in West Los Angeles after moving from Queens at age five, Mike grew up immersed in both athletics and art. But what stayed with him most were the lessons in connection and care, especially those he learned from his sister, Debi.

Known affectionately as “Saint Debi,” his sister spent over 30 years teaching blind children, raising guide dogs, and hosting more than 20 exchange students. Born with a visual impairment herself, she brought both compassion and practicality to everything she did. “She taught blind kids how to live in the sighted world,” Mike said. Her example helped define his understanding of kindness, not as an abstract idea, but as consistent, personal action.

One of Mike’s earliest leadership roles came through Little League. At just 15, he and a friend stepped in to coach a team after one of the adult coaches moved away. “I started coaching Little League when I was a kid, and that was a great life lesson. I still remember the kids’ names from the first year I coached.” They were given the weakest team in the league—but with patience, humor, and encouragement, that team won the first half of the season and earned a spot in the All-Star game. “Kindness was a big factor,” Mike said. “I was a 15-year-old kid telling a nine-year-old what to do, and a 35-year-old dad telling the kid something else. You learn how to deal with people.”

Mike’s creative journey began with pen and ink, watercolor, and airbrush before evolving into digital tools. “I’ve drawn and painted everything I ever wanted to, thank goodness,” he said. But the arrival of AI presented a new chapter. When he discovered HeyGen, a tool for creating interactive avatars, he saw its potential. One of his first experiments was a virtual Santa Claus. A child asked Santa to take him to Mars, and the avatar responded, “Who would you take with you?”—a moment that astonished Mike. “It was really this unbelievable thing.”

Today, he continues this work, specializing in avatars and generative engine optimization (GEO) to help websites become more interactive and AI-friendly. His project “Site Buddy” merges technology and storytelling to make digital experiences more human.

Mike speaks openly about his concerns around greed, empathy loss, and cuts to programs that support people in need. “There is enough money to do good,” he said. “We just need to shift the mindset.”

Mike wants to be known as a good friend. “I have friends going way back. Some of my best friends I met playing Little League—we still talk. My oldest friend and I met in a tree when we were five. I keep friendships a long time.”

“When somebody needs me, I show up.”

Mike Browne is a lifelong creator and mentor whose journey blends artistic evolution with enduring values. Kindness is not just a belief, it is a practice lived in the everyday moments of care, community, and creativity. Keep an eye out for more interviews.