Michael is a startup, business and innovation thought leader with experience working in startups and big corporates across the globe. Based in Melbourne, Michael is currently co-founder and CEO of Thriday, a digital platform using AI to automate financial admin for small businesses.

 

 

I worked in banking for over 10 years both in Australia and in the UK. I loved my time in large banks, but I always felt a little bit like an ‘outsider’ in regards to the speed, agility and ambition I had compared to my colleagues. Over time, I started to gravitate my work to engaging with entrepreneurs and potential collaborations between the organisations I was at, and emerging fintechs. I then realised that I really enjoyed working with the startups and their ‘can do’ attitudes was quite refreshing. Over time I thought there was more to me than working in a bank, so I decided to start Parkhound, which addressed a shortage in affordable parking. I ran that business for 4 years prior to it being acquired by Spacer. I then worked at a scale up after moving to New York, which was a great experience to see how a fast growing US business scales. I then returned to Melbourne to start Thriday, which is looking to solve the problem of financial admin for small business owners.

 

I believe courage can be earned by testing yourself, failing and succeeding and trying again. My courage, or trust in myself, has grown significantly through the various experiences I have had, whether that was moving to live in London and New York, or moving from corporate to startup. Each of these experiences, whilst challenging, allowed me to build confidence in my ability to handle difficult situations and not only persevere but ultimately thrive.

A person who can make something from nothing.