Michael Schmitt
Michael Schmitt’s Biography
My career has moved through very different fields, but the fundamentals have never changed. Set clear expectations, build strong systems, trust capable people, and hold yourself accountable to measurable standards. I learned that in the Marine Corps, and I have applied it everywhere since.
I spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps, serving in leadership roles across assignments and duty stations around the world. Leading Marines under pressure taught me that preparation and resilience matter more than anything, and that my job was as much about developing the people around me as accomplishing the mission. Watching those Marines go on to lead their own teams remains one of the accomplishments I value most.
When I retired and entered healthcare, I found the same principles held true. At Pfizer and Medtronic, I earned recognition as a top performer by focusing on trusted relationships and consistent results inside tightly regulated markets. In 2014, I founded Central Tox LLC, doing business as Semper Fi Labs, because I wanted to build a laboratory that delivered reliable results without compromising on quality or compliance. Rather than settle for off-the-shelf software, I led development of our own system, Elevate. Central Tox is the only SDVOSB holding a National MOU and an Interservice Security Agreement, and we have earned multi-year Exceptional CPARS ratings on our VA contracts, ratings that come from government evaluators, not from us.
More recently, I have focused on health information technology through PHI Fortress, the only SDVOSB operating within the AWS GovCloud VA enterprise space, working to improve how healthcare data moves for veterans. In 2026, I was honored to receive the FORUM Innovation Award for helping deliver a production-ready interoperability solution for the VA.
Beyond my work, I stay committed to causes that matter to me, including the Wounded Warrior Project, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and the ASPCA. My education, two bachelor's degrees and an MBA, gave me a strong framework, but the real lessons have come from doing the work.