Michele Raffin is an American aviculturist, writer, and founder of Pandemonium Aviaries, a non-profit organization in Los Altos, California that is one of the largest exotic bird sanctuaries in the United States.[1] Pandemonium Aviaries is now a leader in conservation breeding of exotic species for return to the wild. The focus of the organization is on birds from New Guinea. Among the important species that Pandemonium breeds and protects are the Crowned pigeons, the Nicobar pigeons, and the Green-naped pheasant pigeons.[citation needed]
Michele Raffin is a former venture capitalist in the Silicon Valley who obtained a degree in 1980s from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and founded Pandemonium in 1996. She has written three books, the most recent about her experiences with Pandemonium.[2][3] The Birds of Pandemonium has received the following honors:
Michele Raffin is an Olympic weightlifter. She won a gold medal in the 2011 masters Pan American Games, and broke 9 records.[citation needed]