Michael Pollack: Turning New Haven Pizza Into Art, Culture & Impact

He helped turn something the whole country started talking about into art: highway signs, a 9,000-pound monument, a statewide pizza movement — and somehow, it all started with one slice. In this episode of Mostly Together, I sit down with Michael Pollack, the artist behind New Haven Pizza Club, live from the Yale Innovation Summit 2026. Michael is one of the creative forces who helped bring Connecticut's "Pizza Capital of the United States" movement to life visually and culturally — a campaign originally spearheaded by the state's then-chief marketing officer, Anthony Anthony. But Michael's story was never really just about pizza. He became an artist at 40, walked away from the expected path, and turned one of the most universal things in the world into art, community, culture, and a philanthropic movement that has helped raise half a million dollars for families of critically ill children. In this conversation, we talk about: Betting on yourself when the path is uncertain Why the lows can make you stronger than the highs How New Haven pizza became part of a larger cultural movement The role of art, storytelling, and community in giving back Michael's work with Feeding Families Foundation and families facing childhood cancer Why tangible impact matters in philanthropy The power of collaboration, trust, and handshake deals Building momentum without losing the heart behind the work Why the thing that brings us all together might just be a slice Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: 🌐 https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/ 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mostlytogetherpod 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737 🎧  Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx 📲Connect with Nicole: Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod 📲 Follow Michael on Instagram: @nhvpc 🌐 https://newhavenpizzaclub.com/