Mike Rose

Yo, so let me tell you about Mike Rose, this dude is straight-up legit in the startup game. He’s a YC W22 alum, which already says a lot ’cause YC is the real deal, the gold standard for launching new tech. But what’s crazy is his process to get there.

Started his career at Blackstone back in 2013, doing advisory and restructuring stuff. That’s some high-stakes finance, right? Then he jumped over to Morgan Stanley’s investment banking team in 2014. So dude’s got serious chops in finance and big-company hustle. But he didn’t stick in the corporate world for long, he’s all about building shit that actually moves the needle.

He’s been a co-founder and CEO of Happl, a personalized benefits and involvement platform for global teams. Basically, he’s all about helping companies keep their people happy and engaged, super timely, right? Happl used to be called Tahora, but now it’s laser-focused on making work better. The fact that he’s leading that shows he’s not just in it for the money; he’s genuinely driven by creating solutions that actually make a difference.

Before Happl, Mike was deep into startups, he was CFO at Pets Deli and Homebell. Pets Deli is all about premium pet food, and Homebell is like a home services platform. He’s been in the trenches, wearing multiple hats, figuring out how to grow these businesses, scale ’em up, and make an impact. That’s real startup hustle, jumping into different industries, learning fast, and crushing it.

Plus, he’s been an angel investor since 2019. So he’s not just building, he’s also backing the next wave of founders. That’s some real commitment to the startup system, always looking to give back and shape the future.

His background? Attended Y Combinator, which is basically the startup world’s Harvard, plus Warwick and King’s College School in Wimbledon. That mix of top-tier education and gritty startup experience makes him a total powerhouse.

What does all this say about him? Dude’s driven by a genuine passion to build things that solve real problems. His jump from finance to startups shows he’s not afraid to take risks, learn fast, and pivot when needed. Starting multiple companies, raising capital, then going back to invest, it’s all about that cycle of creation, scaling, and giving back.

Honestly, Mike Rose is one of those guys who’s proof that if you’ve got the hustle, the right mindset, and a little bit of grit, you can go from crunching numbers at Blackstone to leading a next-gen platform that’s gonna change how people work globally. No Cap, he’s someone to watch, ’cause he’s not just in it for the grind; he’s here to make a real impact.