Michiel is a political scientist. In 2003, together with Professor Stefaan Walgrave, he introduced Belgium’s first Voting Advice Application (VAA), de Stemtest, which grew to become one of the largest VAAs in Europe. He has also published academic research on the topic. Combining his interest in politics and digital solutions, Michiel co-founded Tree company with Erwin Berghmans in 2011. He is passionate about finding innovative ways to inform, engage and activate citizens and other stakeholders around societal issues. Over the years, he has supported numerous governments, non-profit organisations and media companies in developing digital participation and engagement projects. At ProDemos, Michiel works as an e-democracy advisor, where he is involved, among other things, in StemWijzer, the largest VAA in the Netherlands. Today, Tree company is one of the leading organisations in the field of Voting Advice Applications, supporting VAAs in several countries, including Ireland, Switzerland and Armenia.