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 Manager

Narges Andar
Business Development Officer

Business Development - VIC

Rozeen Raad
Business Development Officer

Yung Ngo Bio
Director

Catherine Scarth Bio
Director

John Curtis (AM) Bio
Co-Founder

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