Thrive’s focus is to positively transform the lives of refugees and asylum seekers by helping them build successful businesses and fulfilling lives, so they can make meaningful contributions to the Australian economy and society.
Thrive was founded and initially funded by John & Anna Curtis and Huy Truong with Westpac providing invaluable opex funding, loan capital and start up support. Thrive is a not-for-profit dedicated to assisting refugees and asylum seekers to become financially independent by starting and growing their own small business. Achieving small business success and financial independence is a key driver to wellbeing whilst also making an economic contribution back to Australia.
Thrive Impact Report 2022
Social Ventures Australia (SVA) Consulting was recently engaged to develop this Impact Report with the purpose of understanding and articulating Thrive’s work supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, and the impact that they have on the people and communities that they work with.
The project methodology included desktop research for policy and societal context, review and analysis of program data and operations, and consultations with a range of Thrive clients, staff members and partners to gain an understanding of the key features of the Thrive model, the business journeys and experiences of Thrive clients, and the impact that Thrive has had on their lives.
Download the report here
The team at Thrive
Business Development - NSW
Gus Nehme
NSW State Manager
Karthik Banala
Business Development Officer
Narges Andar
Business Development Officer
Business Development - VIC
Rozeen Raad
Business Development Officer
Adrian Ruggiero
Business Development and Client Experience
Yung Ngo Bio
Director
Catherine Scarth Bio
Director
John Curtis (AM) Bio
Co-Founder
Wasi Nusrat
Business Development Manager
Suzanne Gledhill
Business Development Manager
Key Support & Advisors
Helen Truong
Business Development Manager
Business Development - QLD
Daniel Segura
Queensland State Manager
Linda Joy Thomas
Business Analyst
Executives
Finn Pratt Bio
Director
Huy Truong
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman
David Legg
Risk and Credit
Chris O’Neill
Chief Financial Officer
Board of Directors
Huy Truong Bio
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman
Anna Curtis Bio
Co-Founder and Deputy Chairman
Sandhya Chakravarty Bio
Director
Advisory Council
David Gonski (AC) Bio
Leading Australian businessman and public figure
Dr Martin Parkinson (AC) Bio
Served in Commonwealth Government leadership
Christine Holgate Bio
Group CEO at Toll Global Express
Hasi Bakhshi
Business Development Manager
Bernie Nott
Strategic Projects
Alexi Boyd
Government Relations, Advisor
Annie Walsh
Marketing & Communications
Australian Community Foundation
Baker Foundation
Beecher Family Charitable Fund
Cooper Investors
Luminis Foundation
The Cameron Foundation
The Curtis Foundation
The Gonski Foundation
The Ross Trust
Truong Family
Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation
Westpac
William Buckland Foundation
Thrive’s Donors and Partners
Donors who have supported Thrive
Corporate Partners
Gilbert Tobin
KPMG
Westpac
Western Sydney University
Government Support
Thrive is the recipient of a Department of Home Affairs innovation grant to develop Small Business and Self Employment pathways for refugees
Refugee Sector Partners
AMES
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Catalyst
Community Migrant Resource Centre
Life Without Barriers
Metro Assist
Navitas
Refugee Talent Key Peope
Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre