Meet The Team
HAS HEART IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CO-FOUNDED BY A US NAVY VETERAN & A DESIGNER
Michael Hyacinthe
Co-Founder | Chairman | U.S. Navy Veteran
Michael Hyacinthe served as a U.S. Navy Seabee combat warfare specialist for eight years. His military service took him around the world to Iceland, Guam, Europe and the Middle East. Michael co-founded [HAS HEART] as a way to connect with wounded veterans and to help them experience restoration through art.
As an entrepreneur, Michael developed an educational app called Wimage and the popular PBS show “Wimee’s Words” to inspire and empower children with creative innovation. Michael truly believes in the power of art to help veterans heal and children learn.
Originally from the Bronx in New York City, Michael currently lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and enjoys spending time with his four kids. He still roots for the New York Knicks.
Tyler Way
Co-Founder | Creative Director
Tyler Way, co-founder of [HAS HEART], is an artist/designer whose Grandpa served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He co-founded the organization to support his childhood friends serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, hoping to find a way to support them if ever needed.
As Creative Director, his responsibilities include designing and managing the [HAS HEART] visual assets, website and social channels, product design, promotional marketing efforts, and more. Since working with the first veteran who inspired the beginning of the HERO[series] projects in 2011, Tyler has continued to facilitate, manage, and produce each collaborative project between veterans and artists.
Tyler created original artworks for Phil Knight, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Rip Hamilton, and other celebrity athletes throughout his art career. He was a footwear designer and developer for an international brand at Wolverine Worldwide before he and his wife, Kendra Clapp Olguin, sold everything and bought an Airstream trailer to take [HAS HEART] across the country on the “50 States: Veterans + Artists United” tour. Following the tour, he and his wife started their own creative agency, everyone, before settling back in Grand Rapids.
His other passions include taking epic road trips, film photography, appreciating nature and its quieter moments, and playing basketball and golf.
