mike milley, principal

Mike Milley has been an enthusiastic catalyst for change for over 20 years, answering the question “What’s next?” for some of the most innovative global brands.

Prior to founding The New Next, Mike was the Principal Futurist at Mercedes-Benz. He also served as Director of Foresight & Strategy at BMW Designworks in Los Angeles. There, he led a cross-disciplinary team bringing the future to life at the intersection of Design, Research, Strategy, and Innovation. His team served the BMW Group as well as select third party clients in industries such as Future Mobility, Aviation, Lifestyle Goods, Human Performance, Luxury Fashion, and Retail Experience.

Before joining BMW, Mike was the founding Global Director of Samsung’s Lifestyle Research Lab, a forward-looking think tank that used human-focused foresight to envision product opportunities across Samsung’s markets. Based in Silicon Valley, he led teams in London, São Paulo, Singapore, and Delhi.

As an independent creative consultant, Mike has collaborated with clients ranging from Coca-Cola to Christian Dior. Early in his career, he worked at Nike and Philips, and designed the premier issue of Nylon Magazine.

Mike was educated at Columbia University and Parsons School of Design. He has been on the faculty of ArtCenter College for Design’s graduate Media Design Program since 2010 and chairs the Board of Directors of LYRIC, one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ+ youth centers in the country.