Founders Everywhere: Michael Barnes
Michael Barnes is the co-founder and CEO of Viva Benefits, a platform that helps landlords boost net operating income (NOI) by offering targeted benefits to renters.
Welcome to Founders Everywhere, where we highlight the incredible people behind the companies we’ve backed at Everywhere Ventures, a global pre-seed fund supported by a community of 500 founders and operators.
Access to stable housing is essential for financial security, well-being, and upward mobility, yet many renters struggle with affordability, stability, and support. The wealth gap is stark— the median U.S. renter has just $10,000 in net wealth, while the median U.S. homeowner has $400,000 — highlighting the financial disadvantage renters face. Traditional rental experiences often lack benefits that help tenants build financial resilience and improve their quality of life. Viva Benefits is addressing this gap by offering innovative renter benefits including: telehealth access, virtual tutors for children in English and Spanish, cashback opportunities, and grants for homeownership—all designed to improve health, education, financial wellness, and more for renters. By strengthening the relationship between landlords and tenants, Viva helps renters gain stability while enabling property owners to foster happier, more reliable communities.
Dr. Michael Barnes, the co-founder and CEO of Viva Benefits, is an accomplished entrepreneur, educator, and investor who is dedicated to creating a more equitable world. His journey began with a passion for civic impact, which led him to roles at Teach for America and several non-profits before transitioning to entrepreneurship, where his previous company had a successful exit. He has spent much of his career addressing systemic social issues, particularly in the education and housing sectors. He studied Political Science and then went back to get his Master’s in Computer Science and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy. Michael met co-founder and CTO Jon Woo after auditing his class through the Austin Coding Academy, and brought him onboard for his deep technical expertise. Their third co-founder is Karina Gutierrez, Head of Product, who joined during COVID after an early talent search. The Viva team is dedicated to creating lasting positive impact in communities across the country and Michael shares more about how everyone can enjoy Viva Benefits.
What inspired the creation of Viva?
After selling my first company in 2018, I noticed many tech professionals were preserving their wealth in real estate. My friends and I realized the 1,000 year old binary of rent versus own as the two primary choices in the housing marketplace did not make sense in a modern context. We’re creating Viva to help people rent, build wealth, and make progress in life, regardless of the fact that they own or rent.
What is Viva’s North Star?
Our North Star is closing the 40X wealth gap between renters and homeowners by disrupting the binary system of rent vs. own. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to build wealth and achieve financial stability, regardless of their housing status.
Tell us about some recent milestones Viva crushed.
We exceeded 50,000 families in our network as of Q4 last year.
We are now offering telehealth access for $8 per household per month.
We provide grants for homeownership—recently, a family closed on a home using a $5,000 grant.
What sets Viva apart?
While some competitors offer single benefits like cashback on rent or credit-building tools, we differentiate ourselves by being a platform for resident benefits. This allows us to bundle multiple benefits into one offering, similar to an employer benefits platform.
How does Vivia inspire “customer love”?
Our primary customers are landlords, and they love our product because we’re dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and meaningful support to their renters. This frees them up to focus on maintenance, capital issues, and other operational challenges. Renters love us because we listen to their needs, identify their goals, and provide benefits that help them move forward in life. Internally, we track a key metric called Life Advancing Events (LAE), measuring how quickly and how often someone using our product makes progress in their life. This focus on impact translates into higher NPS scores, stronger retention, and better renewals - all the good things you would see in an effective benefits program. It really is a win-win: renters get the support they need and landlords get happier, more stable tenants.
While landlords are our primary customers, we also offer a free consumer version at vivabenefits.com so renters can stay connected even after moving out of partner communities.
How has your background influenced you as a founder?
My background as a Teach for America alum and social impact advocate has really shaped me as a founder—it’s rooted in civic responsibility and tackling systemic problems like education and housing inequality. Instead of following a traditional nonprofit or government path—where great initiatives often get dismantled due to political shifts—I turned to venture. Unlike public funding, a sustainable business model allows social impact to scale.
Fun fact:
I love Ultimate Frisbee and there’s even a fun pic of me featured on our team page of the website.
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