---
id: brief-michael-grinich
title: "Networking Brief — Michael Grinich (WorkOS CEO, Sponsor)"
type: brief
status: final
owner: ivan
created: 2026-02-21
updated: 2026-02-21
tags: [hackathon, networking, sponsor]
---
# Michael Grinich — Networking Brief
**Role:** Founder & CEO, WorkOS (Hackathon Sponsor)
**LinkedIn:** [grinich](https://www.linkedin.com/in/grinich/)
**Company:** [workos.com](https://workos.com)
---
## Background
- **Nylas** — Co-founded. Email/calendar/contacts API platform. Successfully exited.
- **WorkOS** — Current company. Founded 2019. Enterprise identity and auth platform for B2B SaaS.
- **$80M Series B** — Major funding round
- **$30M+ ARR** — Significant revenue traction
- ~120 employees, San Francisco
## WorkOS Products
7 core products:
1. **AuthKit** — Drop-in authentication UI
2. **Single Sign-On (SSO)** — Enterprise SAML/OIDC
3. **Directory Sync (SCIM)** — User provisioning
4. **Fine-Grained Authorization (FGA)** — Permissions/RBAC
5. **Admin Portal** — Self-service for IT admins
6. **Security (Audit Logs)** — Compliance and audit trails
7. **Pipes** — Data integration layer
## Why He Matters To Us
- **Sponsor** — WorkOS is sponsoring the hackathon
- **Enterprise auth** — As we go multi-tenant with MCP apps, we need enterprise SSO, SCIM, and fine-grained auth
- **Similar founder DNA** — Built developer tools (Nylas → WorkOS), repeat founder, API-first
## Partnership Angle
| WorkOS Provides | Markster Provides |
| ------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Enterprise SSO for multi-tenant MCP app | Complex MCP app as a case study |
| SCIM for customer workspace provisioning | 28-tool ecosystem showing enterprise use case |
| FGA for tool-level permissions per customer | Real-world auth requirements for MCP apps |
**The pitch:** "As MCP apps go enterprise, every app will need WorkOS-style auth. We're one of the first complex multi-tenant MCP apps."
## Quick Opener
> "Michael, I'm Ivan from Markster. We built 28 MCP tools — a full business OS inside Claude and ChatGPT. As we scale multi-tenant, enterprise auth is our next challenge. WorkOS feels like the natural fit."
## What NOT To Say
- Don't ask for free tier or discount
- Don't compare to Auth0/Clerk
- Don't pretend we need enterprise auth today — be honest about growth trajectory
---
_Priority: MEDIUM — Sponsor. Long-term partnership potential for enterprise auth._
