Mike De Paola

Mike De Paola is the founder and CEO of Threshold Worldwide (“TW”) which houses his 10+ real estate, art procurement, product development and lifestyle companies. He is based in New York, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles.  

Mike started his career on Wall Street beginning in 1986, with a brief two year hiatus to receive his MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA.  Prior to transitioning to full-time entrepreneurship in 2001, Mike worked as an Equity Derivatives Sales Trader, most recently for JP Morgan Securities. 

Mike continues to be active within the Anderson community – he is the Alumni President of his Class, on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association, lead Development Chair for Reunion giving and has served on the Board of Advisors at the Price Center for Entrepreneurialism and Innovation since 2014.  Mike also takes on a prominent role in the art world – he is on the Board of Trustees at The Museum of Arts and Design, the Painting and Sculpture Acquisitions Committee at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Board of Directors of Art Production Fund, Chair of the Art Advisory Board at Coalition for the Homeless (ArtWalk NY), Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at Feature Hudson Foundation, and on the Board of Urban Technology (and Spokesperson for Dignity For All). Mike was also a founding Advisory Committee member of New Wave Art WKND in Palm Beach, Florida which partnered with Pittsburgh-based non-profit, City of Asylum, to establish an immigrant artist residency program in West Palm Beach.

In November of 2012, Mike was recognized in the Wall Street Journal as it’s “Donor of the Day” for his work with Coalition for the Homeless (“Coalition”) and in 2016, Coalition honored Mike alongside artist, Kenny Scharf. In December of 2019, Mike was the focus of “The Collector’s Eye”, an article in The Art Newspaper during Art Basel Miami Beach and, in the same month, was referred to as a “Super Collector” by Architectural Digest.

In recognition of his many contributions to UCLA Anderson, its network and community, Mike was the recipient of the 2020 UCLA Anderson Outstanding Alumni Service Award. This is the highest accolade for exceptional service that the school may bestow upon an alumnus or alumna. The award recognizes outstanding dedication and service that have enriched and strengthened the UCLA alumni network as well as the quality and the reputation of the school.

You can find Mike on Instagram @4cryingartloud.

Current Affiliations

• Museum of Arts and Design, Board of Trustees

• Art Production Fund, Board of Directors

• Coalition for the Homeless (Artwalk NY), Chair, Art Advisory Board

• Price Center for Entrepreneurialism & Innovation at UCLA Anderson, Board of Advisors

• Feature Hudson Foundation, Vice Chair, Board of Directors

• The Anderson School at UCLA Alumni Association, Board of Directors

• Urban Technology Inc, Board Member (Dignity For All, Spokesperson)