The IncubatorU Difference
Innovation from Within — Not Imported from Outside.
Most organizations already have everything they need to innovate. The ideas exist. The people are there. The resources are in place. What's missing is the activation — a structured methodology to unlock what's already inside.
IncubatorU is not about bringing in outside systems or replacing what you have. It's about identifying the untapped potential within your teams and communities, and providing the framework to bring it to life.
The result is innovation that sticks — because it comes from the people who live it every day.
30+ Years
About the Founder
30+ Years Transforming Innovation into Impact.
Michael brings over 30 years of innovation leadership at Nike — including patent development, product leadership, and cross-sector strategy — to the work of community transformation. He is a published author, national keynote speaker, and the driving force behind IncubatorU and MoveOregon.
✓ 30+ Years at Nike — Innovation & Product Leadership
✓ Patent holder and product development leader
✓ Published author on innovation and community design
✓ National keynote speaker
✓ Community transformation projects across Oregon
✓ Cross-sector public/private partnership builder
The Framework
Innovation from the Ground Up
A simple but disciplined framework designed to move ideas from inspiration to integration. Originally developed at Nike, refined through community work across Oregon.
01
Imagine
Define the vision. Explore possibilities and inspire bold thinking beyond current organizational limits.
02
Identify
Audit existing assets. Uncover resources, talent, and ideas already available within your team.
03
Initiate
Activate early actions. Launch focused efforts that create momentum and encourage progress.
04
Implement
Execute strategically. Track results, refine processes, and adapt effectively to new challenges.
05
Integrate
Embed innovation into culture. Establish lasting practices that strengthen everyday performance.
Who We Work With
Cross-sector partners building healthier, more connected places.
Rural Communities
Outdoor Recreation Brands
Health Organizations
Public Agencies
Parks & Recreation
Economic Development
Schools
Sport Organizations
Nonprofits
Wellness Coalitions
What We Do
Six Disciplines. One Mission.
Six interconnected disciplines driving transformation across communities and organizations.
Community & Rural Activation
Wellness hubs, track & field facilities, outdoor recreation ecosystems, and event-based economic activation for rural communities.
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Experiential Event Development
Olympic pathway concepts, cultural and sport integration, community festivals, and outdoor recreation events that activate regions.
Strategic Innovation Consulting
Cross-functional innovation, organizational transformation, resource mapping, and leadership activation for lasting change.
Speaking & Workshops
Innovation keynote speaking, leadership workshops, team activation sessions, and fearless innovation culture building.
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Movement & Preventive Health
Nature-based wellness, active community design, and chronic disease prevention through movement and public health engagement.
Ecosystem Development
Connecting nonprofits, building public/private partnerships, developing recreation economies, and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Live Work
Current Initiatives
These aren't hypothetical frameworks. These are real communities, real transformations, and real outcomes happening right now across Oregon.
INFRASTRUCTURE · COMMUNITY
McKenzie Community Track & Field
Transforming a rural community through world-class track and field infrastructure — connecting youth athletics, community pride, and wellness activation.
WELLNESS ECOSYSTEM · ACTIVATION
MoveOregon Activation Platform
A public-facing wellness and movement platform connecting rural Oregonians to healthcare, outdoor recreation, and each other.
OUTDOOR RECREATION · RURAL
Frame the Trail
Activating Oregon's trail infrastructure as economic development corridors and wellness pathways for rural communities.
The Urgency
Movement Is Medicine. Connection Is Survival.
Rural communities across Oregon face a compounding crisis: healthcare access declining, chronic disease rising, loneliness deepening, local economies hollowing out. Outdoor recreation goes underutilized. Wellness infrastructure sits disconnected. Communities wait for solutions that never arrive.
IncubatorU exists at the intersection of all of this — connecting movement, place, community identity, and innovation strategy into ecosystems that heal. This isn't just consulting. It's a movement.
65%
Of Oregon adults face significant health risk from inactivity
4.3M+
Oregon residents who deserve access to movement and wellness
$1B+
In economic opportunity tied to outdoor recreation development
By the Numbers
Innovation by the Numbers
30+
Years of Innovation Leadership
600+
Events Hosted
120+
Organizations & Communities Served
25000+
Athletes & Youth Engaged
45+
Community Projects Activated
150+
Partnerships Built
280M+
Economic Impact ($)
5
Steps That Change Everything
The Book
Innovation from the Ground Up
By Michael Bergmann — Founder of IncubatorU
The definitive guide to the IncubatorU methodology — a practical, proven 5-step framework for transforming organizations and communities from the inside out.
"A must-read for anyone serious about creating lasting innovation culture."
Reader Voices
What Readers Are Saying
Reviews from Amazon and the IncubatorU community
"Having had the pleasure of directly watching Michael work through some of the stories shared in the book, it’s an inspiration to be reminded of the underlying framework that has helped him create successful project after successful project. For those at a pivotal point in their life, their career, or in a specific project, the 5-step methodology will help create clarity, motivation, and a path to keep moving forward. Michael has improved and transformed Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. The legacy of good that he’s planted will nourish generations and this book will only increase that."
- Gregory A. Parra
This is a great book! There are a lot of books on innovation, but many start off with great concepts & then lack practical examples. Mike's uses his stroke recovery story to remind all of us that the future is right now and that some of the resources to make things happen are either within ourselves or are attainable with such tools as the Personal Resource Map. In contrast to many books like this, it is an easy read without long-winded wording or extraneous chapters. If you are interested in problem solving or coming up with innovative solutions, this book is for you.
- RICK RIORDAN
"Michael Bergmann's "Innovation from the Ground Up" is insightful, simple to understand and lays out a way to use to innovation to achieve success. Using his 30 years of experience at NIKE in addition to a lifetime of practical applications for this thinking, he's created a great tool for all of us who want to make things happen. This is great for those who are just getting started in their careers, or those looking for a new way to achieve their goals."
- Michele m gaedke
Partner Project
MoveOregon — The Methodology Activated at Community Scale
MoveOregon is the community wellness and movement activation platform that demonstrates the IncubatorU methodology at work across Oregon. As a strategic partner project, MoveOregon shows what's possible when innovation is built from the ground up — connecting communities through movement, sport, and wellness ecosystems.
From the Field
Voices from the Field
Real voices from the communities, organizations, and leaders we've had the privilege to serve.
"Bergie's style of leadership enables all of the good things that we do. His never-say-die attitude filters through the rest of the organization and definitely has helped me push forward and make sure that if we can't do something, it's because we've tried everything. He lead blocks for people and gives them the space to create, allowing people feel more responsibility and dedication to the cause and then value what they do. When everyone is excited about what they're doing and feels like they're delivering something special, the athletes perform better too, because they feel a part of that energy. He's created a place where outside the box thinking is welcomed, amazingly different things are possible and he makes sure that energy thrives all through the process. I've been a direct beneficiary of this."
Jeff Merrill
Differentiator
Why IncubatorU Works Where Others Don't
You Already Have What You Need
IncubatorU doesn't import foreign systems. It activates the ideas, people, and resources already inside your organization.
A Framework, Not a Formula
The 5-step methodology is adaptable to any industry, organization, or community — because it works with your context, not against it.
Assume Positive Intent
Every engagement starts from a place of trust. People rise to meet belief — and innovation follows.
Built from 30 Years of Real Experience
Michael Bergmann spent 30+ years at Nike building innovation culture from within before bringing this methodology to the world.
