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Michael Birkjær

Head of Analyses and Co-founder

Michael has always been driven to understand the sources of social and economic inequality, which sparked his interest in the role of the economic system. His personal entry point to Wellbeing Economy came through the "Beyond-GDP agenda," where he has primarily focused on how human wellbeing and sustainability can become central goals for policy and societal development.

Michael met Mads Falkenfleth back in 2017 and found a close ally in the ambition of advancing the Beyond-GDP agenda. Six years later, they teamed up to start the think tank WELA with that purpose.

Before co-founding WELA, Michael worked in analysis and communication, especially within welfare economics, value theory, methodology development, and systems thinking. He has been the lead author of several knowledge reports, including for the Nordic Council of Ministers and Ældre Sagen, and has served as a speaker and keynote at numerous conferences. Michael has previously been affiliated with the Danish Happiness Research Institute and has been on the board of Rethinking Economics Danmark. He holds a Master of Science in Political Science from the University of Copenhagen.

In his role as Head of Analyses at WELA, Michael is responsible for the overall research. This includes gathering international research about Wellbeing Economy, identifying knowledge gaps and making it relevant in a Danish and Nordic context, among others. His work includes identifying innovative currents within the broader "new economy” field, ensuring high quality in all analyses and reports.

Outside of work, Michael spends his time with his family. He is an avid fan of science fiction films and has a profound love for Copenhagen during summertime.

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