TheBridge profile: Mike Ference

Name: Mike Ference

Current city: Washington, DC

Current job: Partner, S-3 Group

Past job: Director for Strategic Development, Office of the Majority Leader

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? I’m not much of a coffee guy unless it’s ice cream, but LPQ for a super green juice is my go-to.

Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. Working on policy in a congressional leadership office, I had the opportunity to be extensively involved in the legislative process at the highest levels. Now, in the private sector, I am able to take a step back and provide big-picture insight on what matters to the policymakers we meet with every day. Knowing how to get things done on the Hill has been invaluable not only to helping clients navigate the legislative process, but also to my ability to provide strategic advice across all sectors of business and government.

Q. Why are you part of TheBridge community? Simply put, with Washington, D.C. playing an ever-increasing role, I believe that ongoing dialogue between the regulators and the regulated is incredibly important. By breaking down misconceptions and misunderstandings on both sides of policymaking, we can create a valuable collaborative partnership that ensures the American people and the government truly are working together to shape a responsible and fruitful future for tech.

Q. Job advice in three words? The details matter.

Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? The technology industry is ever-evolving, and it is our job at S-3 Group to help policymakers and tech entrepreneurs create an environment backed by common-sense regulation that fosters innovation. The biggest gap we’re trying to bridge right now is understanding. By working with our clients to break down the complexities of the tech world into everyday language, we can facilitate a better level of understanding and ultimately improve the innovation/regulation balance.

Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? By sitting down with policymakers, innovators have the chance to understand 1) what concerns they hear most often from colleagues and constituents, and 2) how policymakers are thinking about the big picture – the future of tech. By listening to what concerns and questions are raised, innovators can better understand where the information gaps are between their services and the market. They can also gain a sense of ways to improve proactively in today’s regulatory environment. Lastly, by understanding where regulatory concerns are headed, innovators have the chance to weigh in and play a part in shaping the future of tech regulations so that they work for America’s innovative future.

Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Like the other side of this question, policymakers can better understand what, how, and why tech companies operate in order to be better informed when making regulatory decisions. The landscape is ever-shifting, and it’s important to understand the benefits these innovations bring to our society as well as the jobs and professional development opportunities they provide to the workforce. By creating an ongoing dialogue, the industry and policymakers can better understand each other and work towards a future that regulates when necessary, but allows tech companies to innovate.

Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? HBR IdeaCast, Equity and Freakonomics.

Q. Morning routine? Early morning is my quiet time to read. When others wake it’s family time and mornings with my wife and daughter Ellie are invaluable. We all have breakfast together including my daughter’s favorite stuffed duck “Regie” before heading to work. We are also thrilled to be adding another addition to our breakfast table in the fall of 2019!

Q. How do you unwind after work? I find the most joy in whatever my almost three-year-old finds amusing that day. Generally, my family and I love to sneak up to the Eastern Shore in Maryland to unplug. We have a farm out there, and it is so nice to unwind on the water and watch our daughter discover the world one farm animal at a time.

Q. Most underrated virtue in an employee? I’d say a “work as a family” mentality. At S-3 we are proud to have gathered a team of D.C. all-stars from both sides of the aisle. While we may disagree on politics and challenge each other’s viewpoints, it keeps us sharp, and at the end of a long day we can always meet for a drink and laugh together. The family mentality is vital to our shop, and we are lucky to have found it in our small work family.

Q. Last time you were completely unplugged? January 17, 2013 when I left the Majority Leader’s Office—it only lasted three days unfortunately until I started at S-3, but that’s how I am programmed.

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