Primary Job Title Founder, CEO Primary Organization 
Lua
Location New York, New York, United States Regions Greater New York Area, East Coast, Northeastern US Gender Male
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Michael is the Founder and CEO of Lua Technologies, a mobile communications solution, where he shapes the company’s vision, leads the product development team and manages operations, legal and finance.
Michael grew up witnessing firsthand the benefits of technological solutions as his parents co-founded iMapData, an enterprise software company
which provides cloud-based Risk Management solutions to the U.S. Government’s Defense and Intelligence Communities and Fortune 500 corporations.
DeFranco worked his way up the ladder at iMapData, starting as a Research Intern in 2008, working his way up to a Senior Analyst for Legislative Intelligence and designing location intelligence tools for mobile platforms. In 2009, he built up a remote team of 100's of researchers to provide monthly updates for more than 1,000 databases to help build Bloomberg Government (BGov).
Lua was established in February 2010, after Michael identified an opportunity to streamline the workflow process for the entertainment and hospitality industries using mobile technology. The first release of Lua was beta-tested in August 2010 on the film set of Terrance Malick’s recently released movie “To the Wonder” starring Rachel McAdams and Ben Affleck. In June 2012, Lua became a member of TechStars NY’s graduating class, and raised $2.5 million in their first round of funding. In 2013, Michael was invited to lecture at Sequoia's Inaugural Startup Conference at Princeton University.
Since Lua's official launch in August 2012, it’s customer list includes leaders in the security, logistical, hospitality, construction, entertainment and mobile delivery industries.
A native Hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli) Michael traces his heritage to the first canoes that landed in Hawaii in 200 AD, inspiring both the name and concept behind the company. “Lua” is a
martial art focused on silent coordination and communication used by warriors on the battlefield.
Michael is a passionate advocate for Native Hawaiians, working hard to build bridges between the local communities and technology industries to support higher education and provide jobs.
