ABOUT US
The Easol Story
Easol’s journey began in 2020, when our Founding Director Mike Oliver, after nearly five whole decades of existence, promptly decided that he had discovered exactly what made him tick.
“Whenever I try to find the common denominator between the projects I’ve loved and enjoyed, it always comes back to the same two things; interesting ideas and amazing people.” – Mike Oliver, probably.
If that sounds a little too simple for a company vision, that’s because it probably is – but it’s true. At Easol’s core, we love working on interesting projects with amazing people, and have been fortunate enough to have had constant encounters with both since our inception as a sector-agnostic consultancy.
We’ve worked with several governments and UN organisations to make a real impact on lives. We’ve helped MNCs break out successfully into new endeavours, and assisted researchers and start-ups with brilliant ideas that could genuinely change the world. We’ve met some incredible people and witnessed them make some of the hardest decisions in the most challenging circumstances; activists fighting for human rights, military personnel in life-and-death situations, policemen and victims affected by the darker side of society, overworked medical personnel that deal directly with human lives, engineers that work to progress society and more. Each of them face unique challenges and pressure, and it is astounding just how creative, ambitious, heroic and driven people can be when they rise to the occasion – even the ones you’d least expect.
If there’s one thing we’ve taken away from this, it’s that anyone can become an entrepreneur and make a difference, no matter what stage of their life they’re in. They only need to take the first step to journey into the exciting world of entrepreneurship.
As for Easol, we’re still growing, but we’ve accumulated quite a bit of experience and some wise friends along our travels, and we’ve made it our mission to partner up and lend a helping hand to those who might need what we can offer. That’s where we believe our journey truly is – by the side of amazing entrepreneurs on their interesting, one-of-a-kind journey, wherever they may be and wherever they are going.
Since you’re probably pretty amazing yourself and reading this, it seems we’re at a crossroads. If that’s the case, why not walk with us for a while?
“We’re all each on our own unique entrepreneurial journey, but since we’ve met at a crossroads, why not walk with us for a bit?” – Also Mike Oliver, probably.
MIKE OLIVER
Founder & CEO
Our Team
Here are some of the folks you’ll be working alongside when you partner with Easol depending on who you need. No matter who you might end up working with, all of us share the same vision – we’re here to support you on your entrepreneurial journey.
Mike Oliver
Trailblazer
Founder, director and team member, Mike has accumulated a wealth of experience working across multiple sectors in the fields of innovation, product development, operational and policy defence, data analytics, predictive modelling, business development and more. He has made it his personal mission to empower and positively transform anyone he works with.
Rose-Sharon Chin
Innovation Weaver
Rose-Sharon specialises in connecting the threads between the technical and non-technical to weave a tapestry of user-centred design. With an MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and a history of work in gamification, consulting, design thinking and entrepreneurship, Rose-Sharon brings to Easol and our partners a modern perspective and an empathetic approach to innovation.
Yong June Hong
Innovation Tinkerer
Constantly filled with curiosity, Yong June can usually be found building, testing and experimenting. He brings this investigative experimenter’s mindset and research experience in developing innovative solutions that meets the needs of both Easol and our partners. When Yong June is not tinkering, he is optimising workflows and ensuring that the projects run like a well-oiled machine.
Dan White
Software Wizard
Dan brings to Easol the technical leadership and support on projects that require his expertise: digital platform development, launch to market, startup support and more. Having years of experience in developing avionic and defence software, he brings the strict approach, quality and standards to digital technology required by these industries to both Easol and our partners.
James Sutherland
Business Vanguard
James is the veteran at the forefront of Easol who scouts out and creates opportunities for Easol to thrive. With over a decade in experience in product, service and business development as both leader and consultant, he provides the suave charisma, keen eye, expert wisdom and extensive network required for any and all organisational growth.
Ash Fairhurst
Master of Chaos
Ash has a history in logistics management and people development and has managed multiple teams at once; she puts every bit of that experience to good use managing us here at Easol. Flexible, reliable and detail-oriented, Ash is frighteningly competent at getting Easol’s paperwork straightened out and keeping everyone organised.
Secret Character
Agile Ninja
Swift, efficient, and deadly (to deadlines), this secret character is the quintessential project manager with over 15 years of digital development and ecommerce under his belt. A certified Agile Practitioner, Product Owner, and Scrum Master, he is flexible, mission-driven and a customer-focused expert in delivering projects in line with scope.
Secret Character
Design Genie
Much like a genie, this secret character has the magic to turn customer wishes into reality. A designer, developer and graphic illustrator that specialises in building brands and creating digital experiences. She combines UI/UX design, design theory, and software engineering to create custom design solutions that are effective, functional and impressionable.
