In today’s episode of the Influence Unlocked, I catch up with the indomitable Maria Halasz. The multilingual former ASX-listed company CEO and leading venture capitalist board director is now CEO and co-founder of Stride Equity, Australia’s first venture capital backed equity crowdfunding platform.As an 18-year old, Hungarian-born Maria abandoned her medical studies following the sudden death of her beloved brother in an accident. Adventure – and Australia, where the siblings had dreamed of visiting together – called. Maria was granted political asylum and issued a one-way ticket to Perth, Western Australia, where she eventually arrived with just $50 and big dreams in her pocket.In the decades since, her career has unapologetically chartered leadership roles in male-dominated industries like banking, finance, investment, and biotech. “If I thought something [was] important or I could make a difference,” she reflects now, “I just did it!”Through our work at the PR Hub I have personally enjoyed working with Maria for several years now and we have a few things in common too, including a passion for giving back and helping people in business – “Knock on doors. You’ll be surprised how generous people are with their time” – give it their all and maximise their chances of success.No matter your title or where you’re at in business, if you’re looking for some career inspiration, tips for leading at the top and/or are curious about how to attract investment and mentors, you don’t want to miss this episode. Follow Maria on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mariahalaszExplore Stride Equity: strideequity.com.auEmail Sam: [email protected] Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram: @influenceunlockedpodcastCheck out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5