Mickey Bergman
Director
U.S.-Palestinian Partnership
Michael "Mickey" Bergman is the Founder and President of the Solel Strategic Group (SSG), a consulting firm dedicated to conflict mitigation throughout the world. The Group's mission is to pave the way to a better future one project at a time. SSG focuses on three core activities: project management, foreign policy and conflict management consulting, and political consulting.
Current clients include: the Clinton Global Initiative, the Aspen Institute (jointly with the U.S. Department of State), New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, the Robert Redford Center at Sundance, and J Street. Completed contracts also included the Reut Institute, former Member of Knesset Ami Ayalon, the American Jewish World Service, the Elders, and the University of Utah.
As President of SSG, Mickey is currently working with the Aspen Institute as Director of the US-Palestinian Partnership (UPP), aimed at improving the Palestinian economy and developing youth outreach. In addition to UPP he also lends his expertise in the middle east to the Emirates-Aspen Forum on Innovation. Mickey has been involved with the Clinton Global Initiative since its inception in 2005 and currently focuses on the CGI University conference. Mickey is teaching at the Elliott School for International Affairs, George Washington University.
Prior to establishing Solel, Mickey served for two years as the Director of Congressional Relations and Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation based in Washington, DC. Mickey has published several articles and opinion pieces in the Boston Globe, Y-net, Daily Star, Aspen Magazine and the Middle East Bulletin.
In January 2007, as a member of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's delegation, Mickey traveled to Sudan on his second trip to the Darfur region. With the Governor he helped negotiate a ceasefire between the government of Sudan and local Darfur militias He continues to work in collaboration with Governor Richardson as his Foreign Policy Advisor to the Middle East and Africa.
Mickey received his Master of Science in Foreign Service from the Walsh School at Georgetown University in 2005. In addition to completing two academic concentrations in Foreign Policy and Conflict Management, he also obtained a graduate certificate in International Business Diplomacy.
After serving for six years in the Artillery Forces of the Israel Defense Forces, Mickey went on to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles. Mickey is also a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Born in Tel Aviv and raised in Nigeria and Ra'anana, Israel, Mickey currently resides in Arlington, Virginia with his wife, Robin, and dog, Sulley.