Michael J. Szanto began his career in finance and public service, interning on the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange and in Washington, DC for Congressman John Porter. At Northwestern University, he founded Northwestern Students on Foreign Affairs and was a founding father of the university’s AEPi chapter. He later entered the technology sector, working first as a programmer at Allstate and then as a network consultant for Microsoft. A seasoned commentator on global affairs, Michael has presented on international relations and international economics at numerous academic conferences. He is a frequent guest on national and international news networks, including CBS News, Fox News, i24News, and Sky News Arabia. With more than a decade of experience trading equity options, he has also successfully passed the Series 7, 65, and 66 examinations, and has served for many years on the Broward Jewish Federation Investment Committee. Michael holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Chicago. He completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics at Northwestern University through a combined program, and later earned his PhD in International Studies at the University of Miami, where his dissertation analyzed the evolution of North American stock markets.