Thomas Brunskill

Time to stan Thomas Brunskill. This guy’s the real deal in the startup world, especially when it comes to fixing education and jobs. So, he’s a W19 alum from YC, that’s like the golden ticket for startups, and he’s been crushing it ever since.

Thomas kicked off his career as a corporate lawyer at big names like King & Wood Mallesons and Minter Ellison. Dude was deep in M&A, all about deals and contracts. But he’s not just your typical lawyer. No cap. He’s got this crazy passion for making opportunities more fair, more accessible, especially for students and young folks trying to get into the workforce.

Back in 2017, he jumps into the startup scene and co-founds Forage. The goal? Bridge the gap between school and real jobs. He builds this platform that offers virtual job simulations, think of it like a video game but for learning real-world skills. And it’s not some small thing. He’s partnered with giants like J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Walmart, Lyft, BCG, and KPMG. Basically, he’s got the big guns backing him, which is no joke.

What’s wild is that he didn’t just stay in Australia. In 2018, he moved to San Francisco, the startup capital, to take Forage global. That’s some serious hustle. It’s clear he’s all about making a real impact worldwide, not just about launching cool projects.

Before all this, he studied law and international relations at ANU. So, dude’s got brains, but he’s also got this entrepreneurial fire. His background in law, combined with his tech and leadership chops, makes him uniquely suited to disrupt how we think about careers and education.

What does this say about him? The dude’s motivated by a vision, not just profit. He sees the bullshit in traditional pathways, how not everyone gets a fair shot, and he’s out here trying to change the game. It’s about giving everyone a shot, making careers more open, and using tech to do it. He’s a mix of lawyer, educator, and tech entrepreneur, all rolled into one.

Long story short, Thomas Brunskill is one of those founders who saw a problem, jumped into the deep end, and is actually making waves. His process from law to startup founder to international CEO is all about one thing: creating opportunities and shaking up the status quo. No Cap, he’s the kind of guy you wanna watch if you’re into startups and real social impact.