Biography

Mike “Munchie” Santini is the current Executive Director at the Prospector Theater – a 501(c)(3) non-profit providing competitive and integrated employment to people with disabilities through the operation of a first-run movie theater in Ridgefield, CT.

The Munchie moniker is a nom de plume from his days as a rapper. At a D.C. non-profit using hip-hop arts as a tool for social change, Munchie was able to successfully bridge his personal passion and professional possibilities. Two years later, he returned home to become the Director of Development for the Prospector.

Since joining the Prospector team, Munchie has been helping the Theater to sparkle brighter. Munchie’s work redefining educational content and fundraising strategies has grown the Prospector from a start-up model of social enterprise to an internationally recognized model of competitive and integrated employment. In May of 2021, Munchie succeeded Founder & Visionary, Valerie Jensen, as the next Executive Director of the Prospector Theater.

Nearly 300 Prospects have worked at the Theater, clocking in over 800,000+ hours of meaningful work, while engaging and educating 650,000+ moviegoers. The mission of the Prospector has been shared far and wide – NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, The TODAY Show, The New York Times, The Connecticut State Capitol, Department of Labor, and White House. The Prospector’s “Bars & Beats” rap program was honored at The Teach-In: a global hip-hop conference at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For his work, Munchie was recognized as part of Connecticut Magazine’s “40 Under 40”, as well as the University of Maryland’s “30 Under 30”.

Mic Drop.

Munchie lives in Ridgefield with his wife, daughter, and dog (named Boba Fett). When not working, Munchie can be found practicing his Spanish, watching fútbol, or reading a Stephen King novel.