MICHAEL “OMMY” CARABALLO RIVERA

Long before Michael “Ommy” built platforms for other creatives, he was one himself.

Michael's creative journey began in childhood, recreating comic‑book drawings in elementary school before discovering an ability to express himself through words. By middle school, friends were already coming to him to write poetry. Hip‑hop gave that voice another language. Inspired by the socially conscious storytelling of Tupac Shakur's “Brenda's Got a Baby” and his 2Pacalypse Now album overall, Michael began transforming his own observations, struggles and experiences into rhyme.

Those formative years were anything but easy. Frequent moves from one housing project and community to another left Michael continually searching for belonging. Deeply religious yet surrounded by instability, anger, political darkness and street culture, he sometimes sought the family he was missing in gangs. He also found himself repeatedly confronting bullies and fighting on behalf of people he believed were being picked on.

A middle‑school fight in Worcester, Massachusetts, followed by the discovery of a fishing knife in Michael's jacket, resulted in a year away from Massachusetts schools and his return to Puerto Rico. Another confrontation there—this time with an older, much larger bully—unexpectedly helped lead him toward boxing and martial arts. Training introduced discipline and a different outlet for his intensity, while bringing him into a world in which his journey crossed paths with figures including Vinny Pazienza and Roy Jones Jr.

Music soon provided an even greater outlet.

By age 20, Michael had built his own recording studio and people from his community were booking time to record with him. He taught himself recording technology and Pro Tools while developing as a songwriter, recording artist, engineer and promoter. Around age 22, he recorded the single “The Storm,” featuring his friend Joseph Brown on the second verse and Joe's sister on the chorus, over a beat created for him by producer Gary Lucas (biological father of popular Worcester artist Joyner Lucas).

When Michael arrived in Miami in 2001, he brought that ambition with him. While bussing tables during one of his first South Beach jobs at Jerry's Famous Deli, Michael found himself serving Fat Joe and personally handed the rapper his demo. He still laughs about the encounter today, joking that Fat Joe probably tossed the CD out of his car window afterward.

Michael kept going.

Through Black‑N-Brown Productions and later Life Productions, he immersed himself in South Florida's independent entertainment scene as an artist, recording engineer, promoter, open‑mic host, talent scout and increasingly trusted resource for other creatives. He provided recording services involving artists ranging from members of Little Haiti's G‑Mob to legendary hip‑hop duo Mobb Deep and was kept on standby for technical support surrounding an Immortal Technique performance at Miami's iconic Churchill's Pub.

But Michael's instinct was never simply to put himself in the spotlight.

Through popular Miami‑area showcases such as his Lyricist Thursdays open mic at PopRox, he created stages for others. He developed a promotional The Talent Catalogue "Seeing the Stars" mix CD featuring approximately ten artists from the scene—including Black Dada with his hit track “On My Own”—using physical media to introduce audiences to emerging talent. His open‑mic and promotional work also positioned him as a scouting resource in Miami's entertainment community and introduced him to artists such as JahYut, creating relationships that would ultimately stretch across decades.

Over the years, Michael's path has crossed an extraordinary spectrum of artists, entertainers, athletes and cultural figures, including Fat Joe, Rah Digga, Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Olivia Munn, the late Betty Wright and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's father Rocky Johnson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Hector Camacho Jr., and Hector Lombard. Stephen Marley, Ky‑Mani Marley and Kevens he met on a job setting up furniture at Momma Marley's house for Stephen Marley's earth‑strong celebration, and later meeting, gaining support from and ultimately promoting Julian "JuJu" Marley, among many others.

But celebrity proximity was never the objective. Michael's most meaningful connections became relationships through which talent, resources and opportunities could be shared.

That philosophy eventually moved him beyond entertainment promotion alone.

After years of personally discovering, recording, promoting and connecting talent, Michael founded The Talent Catalog in 2009 around a simple realization: extraordinary talent exists everywhere, but access, visibility, development and meaningful connections do not. TTC became a way to organize and ultimately scale something Michael had already spent years doing person‑to‑person.

In 2013, he extended that philosophy more deliberately into community impact by founding Talent4Change. Through initiatives including CHEF and KIDS (now seedlings EAT), Buzz Boxx (now Change Rover), Stylist Boost, Elevated Poetry and Seeing the Stars, Michael brought artists, stylists, businesses, volunteers and community partners together to help young people and underserved communities build confidence, recognize their value and gain access to new opportunities.

Talent4Change's work expanded throughout South Florida and into Puerto Rico, including Hurricane Maria relief and community outreach, and earned the organization the 2017 Philanthropy Miami Shark Tank award. By 2018, Talent4Change reported reaching more than 1,050 people across 70 locations in South Florida and Puerto Rico.

Michael's ability to move comfortably between entertainment and community service continued creating unusual collaborations. Talent4Change provided positive talent for Trick Daddy's Trick Luvs Da Kids Toy Drive for three consecutive years. Michael and T4C later helped recruit more than 400 young people for Colin Kaepernick's first Know Your Rights Camp in Miami and subsequently supported recruitment for Miami Dolphins player Kenny Stills' first Miami Still Growing Summit.

His relationship with Dr. Khalilah Camacho‑Ali has similarly crossed entertainment, promotion, community engagement and media. Michael has promoted Dr. Ali as a member of The Talent Catalog, participated alongside her in community activities—including one memorable Thanksgiving distributing turkeys with Khalilah, Don King and a rabbi—and appeared in a speaking role in her movie production The Grid.

Michael has also stepped in front of the camera himself, with background appearances in productions including The Glades, Step Up Revolution and HBO's Ballers.

Today, the different strands of Michael's life are converging through The Talent Catalog.

What began as one creative helping another has grown into a platform designed to connect talent, resources, venues and audiences while giving creatives greater ownership over how they present themselves and build opportunities. And through TTC Radio Show on WOBC 91.5 FM Oberlin College & Community Radio, Michael's work has expanded into broadcasting, education and experiential learning—creating another environment in which emerging talent, college students, community members and established professionals can learn and create alongside one another.

Looking across Michael's journey, the titles have continually changed—writer, recording artist, engineer, promoter, open‑mic host, scout, entrepreneur, consultant, nonprofit founder, radio host and platform builder—but the role underneath them has remained remarkably consistent:

See the potential. Make the connection. Create the opportunity.

The child who spent years searching for a village ultimately grew up to build one.

For Michael, The Talent Catalog is more than a business or technology platform. It is the culmination of a lifetime spent recognizing stars in people—often before the rest of the world sees them—and creating spaces where those stars can shine together.