Team.
We have guided more than 200 founders through what you are about to experience on your way to a great exit.
We are former founders.
We are behavior change experts and blind spot transformers.
We know how to cultivate your inherent inner wisdom.
We know what you don’t know you don’t know about being a successful business leader, and we want to help you thrive!
Hello!
Michael – Coach & Advisor
Kim – Habit Change Expert
Bertram – Fundraising Expert
Michael.
Michael Costuros | Managing Partner
Executive leadership coaching, Seed through B-stage advisor roles, & Off-sites
After 6 years as the founder of an investor-backed startup that achieved $2.5MM in ARR I was fired by my CEO co-founder. As a master generalist there was no room for me when the company needed an executive team of experts. Now that was a wake up call!
After some soul searching I realized that what I loved most about being a founder was mentoring and developing people and teams. My former executive coach, Bryan Franklyn, took me on as an apprentice and I began my career as an executive coach.
Since 2010 my full time job has been helping founders solve the most gut-wrenching issues they face as their company growth rockets toward the next round of funding.
Co-founder conflicts, forced resignations, attempted coups, RIFs, showdowns with the board. You name it, and I have guided my clients through to the best possible outcome.
The Thriving Partners firm is the next chapter of my life’s work. We are a team of experts, most of whom have been VC backed founders and operators, dedicated to transforming new leaders into exceptional leaders. Our legacy will be measured in the amount of our clients who become recognized as great leaders and found companies that make the world a better place.
What I'm proud of
I began coaching in 2010 after being fired from my startup. Why I’m proud of that is a longer story!
+ in 2002 I co-founded a tech startup called liveBooks.com. During the 6 years that I was on the exec team, we ramped up to 60 employees across 3 locations and achieved $2.5MM in ARR. We also earned the position of industry-leading brand. My co-founders and I faced every kind of business-threatening challenge you can imagine, including the 2008 finacial crisis that cost us our Series-A. Friction between my co-founder CEO and I came to a head and resulted in him firing me. A lesson that I find incredibly valuable still to this day, as most of my clients experience co-founder conflict between the A and B rounds. Today, liveBooks.com is still thriving under the company that acquired it.
+ Since 2010, I have worked with more than 150 startups and 300 clients, clocking more than 9,500 hours of coaching time. Many of my clients are considered top founders and CEOs, as judged by 30 under 30, YC, and other sources. I am proud to have over 40 authentic recommendations on my LinkedIn profile. My former client network is a priceless resource pool that my new clients benefit from immediately.
I have also taken the opportunity to coach partners at VC firms. Understanding both the investor/board side, as well as the founder side, enables me to understand and resolve conflicts between them quickly.
+ Until I launched Thriving Founders, I was a founding partner at Neuberg, Gore & Associates. NGA is one of the most respected exec coaching firms in San Francisco. The collective experience of my network of coaches gives me direct access to the best practices in any area of business.
I am certified in the Saturn Leadership Index, which is an extraordinary 360 instrument developed specifically for the venture backed startup executive, as well as their C.U.B.E. communication model.
+ I have more than 2,500 hours of coaching related training, including NLP psychology, conflict mediation, empathic leadership, whole person culture, non-violent communication, and the California Leadership executive coaching program.
Despite my experience I learn something new with every coaching session. It’s my continued growth as a coach and passion for my work that makes me confident that I will make a truly life-changing difference for you, both professionally and personally.
If you are a founder who aspires to realize their full potential as a leader, avoid the many startup pitfalls, live an extraordinary life, and leave the world better than you found it, then let’s talk!
Kim.
Kim Iglinsky | Transformation Specialist
Certified NLP Master, IFS Informed Life Coach & Psychedelic Microdosing Expert
Kim is a certified transformational Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) master, life coach, Nonviolent Communication for Leadership, (NVC), as well as a master of Emotional Freedom Technique, (EFT).
Her startup experience comes from being married to me during my startup years and working with many of my executive coaching clients who I refer her way.
Kim has established herself as an expert in microdosing psilocybin for mood and performance enhancement, and you can find her on Clubhouse speaking on these topics.
Our executive coaches often have their clients do a few sessions with Kim during their program. She’s able to help resolve the most stubborn subconscious blocks using NLP and EFT techniques.
Many clients choose to work with Kim for microdosing or NLP independent of their executive coaching program.
In her former life Kim was a top runway model, and I only mention that because if you Google her name, that’s all you’re going to see, pretty unusual!
Bertram.
Bertram Meyer | Guest Expert
Available for series A, B and C fundraising coaching as well as Seed Stage fundraising for equity
