Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Mike Wargo(I)

  • Producer
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
Mike Wargo on location in Northern Uganda during filming of the Road to Hope (Summer 2013).
Mike was born in Elkhart, Indiana, the son of a career soldier and a grocery store clerk. At the age of 10, he was in his first theatrical performance and began shooting films with a Super-8 movie camera he'd received as a birthday gift. Continuing to perform in occasional theatrical productions through college, Mike dabbled in journalism as editor of his college newspaper and majored in political science.

Following in his father's footsteps, he entered military service after college and quickly concluded that it was not to be his lifelong calling. Following a stint in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, Mike began teaching college and eventually settled into a business career that ranged from the banking and hospitality industries to a wide array of entrepreneurial ventures. Though he achieved professional success during a 20+ year career in the business world, Mike found his greatest personal satisfaction came through his involvement in leadership roles of various non-profit organizations.

After helping to found the Hospice Foundation of a regional hospice organization, Center for Hospice Care, Mike found himself being asked to leave the for-profit sector to take over as the organization's chief operating officer. To raise awareness of the foundation's work to support the development of palliative care in Africa, Mike produced his first documentary film which focused on health care workers caring for patients dying deep in the villages of Uganda. The film, entitled Okuyamba, the Lugandan word meaning 'to help,' received recognition in numerous film competitions and festivals and has been screened around the world to raise awareness about the work of hospices working to bring this needed care to the dying throughout Subsaharan Africa.

Hooked on developing films that raise awareness for important causes, Mike now produces targeted videos and documentaries as a means through which to raise awareness of various projects and programs in which the Hospice Foundation is involved. He also serves on the board of directors of PBS-affiliate Michiana Public Broadcasting Corporation in South Bend, Indiana which operates the Center for Public Media and WNIT television studios. In addition to his board service, Mike is the creator and a producer of its hit television series, Michiana's Rising Star.
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards

Photos97

Season 3 Co-Host Allison Hayes with Writer/Associate Producer Mike Wargo on the set of Michiana's Rising Star (2015).
2013 Road to Hope production still.
Mike & Dena Wargo
Mike Wargo at The African Film Festival in Dallas, TX in 2016.
Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda with Mike Wargo in Kampala, Uganda in 2017.
Brandi Milloy, Mike Wargo, Torrey DeVitto, Tarin DeVitto and Maryelle DeVitto at a pre-Road to Hope Benefit gathering in North Hollywood in 2014.
"Mother" Miriam Garfield, Brad "Martini" Chambers and Mike Wargo at the 2016 Marina del Rey Film Festival.
Mike & Dena Wargo at the 2016 SLO Film Festival.
Dena and Mike Wargo on the red carpet at the 22nd Annual San Luis Obispo Film Festival.
2014 Road to Hope crew reunion in West Hollywood. L to R: Denis Kidde, Mike Wargo, Torrey DeVitto, Rose Kiwanuka, Timothy Wolfer, Collin Erker,
Stephen Tibbo (a.d.r. and re-recording mixer) and Mike Wargo (producer/director) at the 2016 Marina del Rey Film Festival where Road to Hope won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary.
Following a 2016 screening of Road to Hope in National Harbor, MD. L to R: Tarin DeVitto, Mike Wargo, Timothy Wolfer, Torrey DeVitto.

Known for

Road to Hope (2016)
Road to Hope
8.5
  • Producer
  • 2016
Okuyamba (2012)
Okuyamba
6.4
Short
  • Producer
  • 2012
Michiana's Rising Star (2013)
Michiana's Rising Star
TV Series
  • Producer

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Producer

  • Road to Hope (2016)
    Road to Hope
  • Michiana's Rising Star (2013)
    Michiana's Rising Star
  • Okuyamba (2012)
    Okuyamba

Writer

  • Road to Hope (2016)
    Road to Hope
  • Michiana's Rising Star (2013)
    Michiana's Rising Star

Director

  • Road to Hope (2016)
    Road to Hope
  • Okuyamba (2012)
    Okuyamba

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Official Hospice Foundation Site
    • Official Okuyamba Film Site
    • August 11, 1997 - present (3 children)

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.