From aspiring Air Force Academy cadet to DARPA program manager and global public diplomacy speaker, Michael Hsieh’s journey is anything but conventional. In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with Hsieh to trace the unexpected path that led him from quantum computing labs to shaping innovation culture around the world. With stories that span from personal turning points to high-stakes national security programs, Hsieh unpacks the motivations, mentors, and missions that defined his career.

As a former DARPA program manager, Hsieh reflects on the agency’s culture of high-stakes innovation and its role in driving technologies that have changed the world. He shares insights into programs designed to detect social media manipulation, encrypt entire algorithms, and uncover signals of geopolitical unrest using open-source economic data. Now, as part of the U.S. State Department’s public diplomacy program, he brings those experiences to audiences worldwide—helping shape global conversations around science, trust, and innovation.

Ultimately, Hsieh believes the most powerful work happens when personal values align with national purpose. From AI matchmaking to international policy dialogue, he illustrates how seemingly unrelated experiences can build toward a legacy of service, discovery, and global impact.

• 00:54 – Michael discusses how AI is transforming relationship matchmaking and lowering divorce rates.
• 03:11 – Michael shares how his early goal of attending the Air Force Academy shifted after being medically disqualified.
• 11:37 – Michael recalls how 9/11 influenced his decision to pursue quantum computing for national security.
• 19:55 – Michael talks about joining DARPA and launching programs that used public data to detect terrorist activity.
• 27:26 – Michael explains the Social Media in Strategic Communication (SMISC) program for identifying bot activity.
• 33:47 – Michael outlines his work on encrypting entire programs using homomorphic encryption.

• Daniel Marrujo on LinkedIn
• Michael Hsieh
• TSS Website

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