About
US

At its heart, SecondMuse is a group of people working vigorously to better the world we live in. We do this by putting people first, boldly challenging ourselves to find solutions to complex issues and fearlessly introducing new ideas that may, at times, seem impossible.

As an impact and innovation company, we are inclusive and mandate diversity in every program we pioneer — because we believe that diversity is absolutely vital in enabling innovative solutions. We also believe that resolutions to inequality and injustices are waiting to be found. Every day we see talent, intellect, passion, and energy invested in developing some of the greatest inventions and technology that has and will continue to change humanity.  What if we put a fraction of that effort into solving some of the injustices of the world?  It’s a tall order, we know; but if we don’t take the lead, who will?

At SecondMuse,
WE BELIEVE

We can be successful in building and scaling economic systems without sacrificing the well-being of our planet and humanity.

That every person in every community deserves to thrive — individually and together.

The greatest innovative solutions are created by bringing together diverse groups.

That thousands of small actions can bring us further than one sweeping action that can’t be sustained.

OUR
JOURNEY

2009

RANDOM HACK OF KINDNESS

Together with initial core partners including Google, Microsoft, NASA and The World Bank, we co-founded Random Hacks of Kindness, a global hackathon movement to drive collective action towards specific outcomes. One Hackathon solution proved integral to the Haiti earthquake response the following year.

2014

LAUNCH EXPANDED TO EUROPE

LAUNCH, one of our flagship programs supporting innovators across the world, expanded to Europe. As part of the expansion, LAUNCH collaborated with new partners such as IKEA, Novozymes, and Kvadrat to explore building a circular society.

2008

SecondMuse Founded

SecondMuse started as a radical experiment. We wanted to see if we could build new economic relationships without employing competitive frameworks. We had a theory of change rooted in collaboration and inclusion, and a vision of a prosperous future that was just and equitable for all.

2012

SPACE APPS

We co-founded an annual global hackathon innovation incubation program with NASA, focusing on generating solutions for challenges in space and on the earth. Space Apps has grown to be a global community of passionate problem solvers.

2017

GROWING TO APAC

SecondMuse started to grow exponentially as we began to operate in Asia-Pacific with a focus on social entrepreneurship and sustainability. In 2017, we initiated the groundwork for programs that were launched in subsequent years such as Frontier Incubators and Seafood Innovation Program.

2019

SECONDMUSE CAPITAL LAUNCHES

Driven by the belief that profit and purpose can coexist, we launched a financial management arm. SecondMuse Capital invests in businesses and real estate that helps create resilient, inclusive and growing economies. Based on a decade of experience in building economies and supporting entrepreneurs around the world, SecondMuse Capital strategically influences and deploys capital.

2016

BUILDING FOUNDATION IN NEW YORK

Building on our work with the New York City Economic Development Corporation to promote a culture of innovation and commercialization within New York City’s industrial business, design and engineering communities, we launched the Futureworks program to focus on incubating startups and entrepreneurs for the hardware manufacturing industry. This work was instrumental to develop the climate tech program for the state of New York with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

2019

STRONGER LOCALLY, EXPANDING GLOBALLY

From running local incubators in Fort Myers, Florida and Battle Creek, Michigan and opening an office in Singapore to run The Incubation Network program focusing on ocean plastic pollution, to convening global leaders to shape food systems of the future, SecondMuse continues its commitment to build resilient economies by bringing communities together.

2020

GENDER EQUALITY IN TECH

Building on our experience developing inclusive economies, we launched Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities, an initiative designed to accelerate the representation and leadership of women in tech. It is based on our conviction that a  thriving tech economy that meets the demands of the future will only exist when all workforce talent is engaged and has an equal opportunity to advance.

OUR
JOURNEY

2008

SecondMuse Founded

SecondMuse started as a radical experiment. We wanted to see if we could build new economic relationships without employing competitive frameworks. We had a theory of change rooted in collaboration and inclusion, and a vision of a prosperous future that was just and equitable for all.

2009

RANDOM HACK OF KINDNESS

Together with initial core partners including Google, Microsoft, NASA and The World Bank, we co-founded Random Hacks of Kindness, a global hackathon movement to drive collective action towards specific outcomes. One Hackathon solution proved integral to the Haiti earthquake response the following year.

2012

SPACE APPS

We co-founded an annual global hackathon innovation incubation program with NASA, focusing on generating solutions for challenges in space and on the earth. Space Apps has grown to be a global community of passionate problem solvers.

2014

LAUNCH EXPANDED TO EUROPE

LAUNCH, one of our flagship programs supporting innovators across the world, expanded to Europe. As part of the expansion, LAUNCH collaborated with new partners such as IKEA, Novozymes, and Kvadrat to explore building a circular society.

2016

BUILDING FOUNDATION IN NEW YORK

Building on our work with the New York City Economic Development Corporation to promote a culture of innovation and commercialization within New York City’s industrial business, design and engineering communities, we launched the Futureworks program to focus on incubating startups and entrepreneurs for the hardware manufacturing industry. This work was instrumental to develop the climate tech program for the state of New York with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

2017

GROWING TO APAC

SecondMuse started to grow exponentially as we began to operate in Asia-Pacific with a focus on social entrepreneurship and sustainability. In 2017, we initiated the groundwork for programs that were launched in subsequent years such as Frontier Incubators and Seafood Innovation Program.

2020

GENDER EQUALITY IN TECH

Building on our experience developing inclusive economies, we launched Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities, an initiative designed to accelerate the representation and leadership of women in tech. It is based on our conviction that a  thriving tech economy that meets the demands of the future will only exist when all workforce talent is engaged and has an equal opportunity to advance.

Our
TEAM

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Todd Khozein

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Todd Khozein is the co-founder and CEO of SecondMuse, an impact and innovation company working with communities focused on climate, equity, and tech to build resilient economies that benefit people and protect the planet. Under his leadership, the company has designed and implemented programs on all 7 continents with over 600 organizations such as NASA, The World Bank, Nike, USAID, The World Health Organization, and The Rockefeller Foundation. Since its founding, SecondMuse has reached over 160 countries and territories, prototyped 11,000 ideas for innovative solutions, and funded more that 18 million to directly support over 1,200 portfolio companies. These supported ventures have in turn raised over 850 million in additional funding, during their involvement with SecondMuse programs.

The company is a manifestation of Todd’s impassioned belief that economic and social systems can be built inclusively and not at the expense of human dignity or the health of the planet. To test his theories and gain a deeper understanding of how to build and execute better systems, Todd earned a medical degree from the University of New Mexico, spent years developing a range of businesses, and co-founded SecondMuse in 2008. He is proud to serve on the Board of Directors of TechSoup Global.

Todd regularly advises corporate executives, senior governmental leaders and heads of foundations around the world. He has delivered keynote presentations to leading organizations and government bodies about building resilient economies and the roles of communities and entrepreneurship in that process. Some of Todd’s most notable presentations were delivered to the United Nations General Assembly, Bolivia's Ministry of Economy and Public Finance, the American Physical Society, the American Chemical Society, the World Bank, and the US Bank.

Global Head of Impact

Stuart Gill

Global Head of Impact

Dr Stuart Gill is the Global Head of Impact at SecondMuse. Stuart is a pioneer in applying a relational lens to economic development through partnership, finance and the acceleration of entrepreneurs and their businesses.

This approach is motivated by a belief that all big challenges, from climate change to gun violence, are, at their core, relational problems and can not be solved within our current paradigm. While we might live in a material world, he is most definitely a relational boy - a hard-fought realization and one that he works daily to hold on to.

Before coming to SecondMuse, Stuart founded the first innovation group at the World Bank and built public-private partnerships across a spectrum of global challenges. Before the Bank, Stuart taught and researched in the Department of Astrophysics at Columbia University in the City of New York.

Stuart’s true home is Wilsons Promontory National Park, at the southernmost tip of mainland Australia, where he spent nearly two years of his life camping. He is a mad supporter of the Hawthorn Football Club and an even madder supporter of his wife and three kids. To his kids, Stuart is still the funniest person in the world, and he is enjoying every minute of that while it lasts.

Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer

Chad Badiyan

Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer

Chad is the co-founder and COO of SecondMuse, an impact and innovation company working with communities focused on climate, equity, and tech to build resilient economies that benefit people and protect the planet. He is also Managing Director of SecondMuse Capital, the impact investing arm of SecondMuse, which designs and manages investments to finance economies of the future.

With 30 years of experience in entrepreneurship, finance and technology, Chad believes collaboration is fundamental in understanding and addressing the complex problems facing humanity. He is responsible for the company’s operations, which includes program delivery, finance, technology, HR and legal, and co-manages SecondMuse’s capital arm.

Prior to founding SecondMuse in 2008, Chad worked in Mexico as executive director of a public foundation, served on the startup team of an online university in Iran, founded a DVD production company, and ran a knowledge management company in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Chad is based out of Portland, Oregon. He holds a BA from Purdue University and MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

Global Head of HR & General Counsel

Stephanie Gliege

Global Head of HR & General Counsel

As the Global Head of HR and General Counsel at SecondMuse, Stephanie manages all HR and legal matters, including overseeing the employee lifecycle from hiring, onboarding, and offboarding to performance management, benefits, compliance, complaints and investigations, and ensuring that DEI priorities are implemented, in addition to her responsibilities as General Counsel. As General Counsel, Stephanie is responsible for policy development, insurance, compliance issues, and contracts. She also provides legal advice and support to all SecondMuse teams across the company. Stephanie is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience practicing law and managing HR in diverse settings across the U.S., Costa Rica, Sudan, Kazakhstan, and Europe.

Starting her career at NASA, Stephanie became a member of the Arizona Bar in 2003. She has served as a lawyer, legal advisor, or HR manager in the U.S., Costa Rica, Sudan, Kazakhstan, and Europe. Stephanie has also taught master’s students at the UN Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica and was a Fulbright Scholar in Kazakhstan, where she taught business and international law. In 2009, Stephanie also founded an LLM in International Business Law, requiring significant collaboration within the complex post-Soviet educational structure.

Beyond academia, Stephanie has experience in commercial and non-commercial sectors. She has founded and managed several non-profit organizations and served as legal counsel and operations manager for an internet technology company. In Sudan, Stephanie was the coordinator of the Darfur Programs of the International Organization for Migration. She has also managed HR for a variety of teams in non-profit and for-profit settings, often internationally and remotely.

Stephanie holds degrees from Arizona State University College of Law, the UN University for Peace, and King's College London. Her rich professional journey has instilled in her a deep understanding of the values uniting all peoples. She is driven by helping diverse individuals understand one another and is dedicated to fostering a more equitable society led by truth, justice, and purpose.

Outside of work, Stephanie is a mother to four children and enjoys spending quiet moments outdoors. Her unique blend of legal, finance, and HR expertise, coupled with her global perspective and commitment to equity, make her an invaluable asset to the SecondMuse team.

Global Head of Marketing & Communications

Simone Byrd

Global Head of Marketing & Communications

Simone Byrd is the Global Head of Marketing and Communications at SecondMuse, spearheading marketing for the organization and their ecosystem-building projects. Leveraging her expertise in public relations, marketing, branding, and innovation, Simone was pivotal in establishing The SecondMuse Studio—an in-house team dedicated to guiding professionals in creating impactful communications aligned with the company's mission.

With a robust background in strategic development, Simone excels in collaborative strategy, leading cross-team efforts to design, track, test, and report on marketing effectiveness. Her commitment to refining processes and fostering global communications reflects a dedicated pursuit of positive change.

Before joining SecondMuse, Simone showcased her prowess by successfully leading campaigns for niche and mass-market brands, igniting her passion for impactful branding and solidifying her commitment to SecondMuse’s ecosystem-building mission. A confident self-starter with a collaborative spirit, Simone fearlessly tackles challenges to support and achieve collective goals.

Residing for over a decade in Brooklyn, NY, Simone's journey also encompasses time spent in California, Wyoming, and Colorado. Beyond work, she indulges in experimental cooking, cherishes quality time with family, and stays active through various movement activities.