Mike Byrne hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Georgetown University. With a background in playwriting and poetry, he took his passion for writing and creativity to the ad world. Byrne joined Wieden+Kennedy in their New York office in 1996, working on the ESPN account. He transferred to the Portland office in 2000 as a writer in the Nike group. Two and a half years later, Bryne was named Co-Creative Director on the Nike account. Byrne has won awards both at home and on the international stage, pulling down the Grand Prix at the Cannes Festival in 2002. He is also an Emmy award winner for his work on the Nike brand.