Michael Manoochehri earned his undergraduate degree in Genetics and Plant Biology from UC Berkeley's Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. After graduating, Michael spent several years as a Research Associate in the Molecular Genetics/BioInformatics lab of an Agricultural Biotech company, specializing in genetic alteration of food crops such as papaya, strawberries, and grapes. Later, Michael worked as a Lab Manager and Molecular Genetics Researcher for the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Health Laboratory, where he researched the spread of pathogenic Bacteria such as E. Coli and Cryptosporidium.

After volunteering his help on various websites for activist groups, Michael began devoting more and more time to activism around Food Policy issues. In 2001, Michael left the Biotech world, and was hired as the Internet Coordinator of Food First/Institute and Development Policy, where he did media and outreach work with Peter Rosset, Anuradha Mittal, Raj Patel, and Christine Ahn. He has since worked as a web and media consultant for various progressive groups in the Bay Area.

Michael most recently served as the Web Director at listener-sponsored KPFA Radio in Berkeley CA. In 2007, Michael helped promote a protest of excessive royalty rates that threatened online radio stations. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jx3g6ASrOQ). Michael also developed projects such as Warcomeshome.org, the online component of KPFA's "Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations" project, which was named #9 on Project Censored list of the "Most Censored Stories of 2009" (http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/9-iraq-and-afghanistan-vets-testify/).

Michael is currently a MIMS graduate student at the UC Berkeley School of Information.