Michael Poisel left a successful venture capital career in the United States to become Executive Director of the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre. His mission is transforming Australia's economy through innovation and company creation.

After launching 285 companies at the University of Pennsylvania, Michael brought his venture studio model to Melbourne. He helps researchers commercialize their work without becoming entrepreneurs themselves. The approach builds companies for them, finds the management teams, and handles the complex business infrastructure that turns research into viable commercial enterprises.

Michael shares hard truths about global entrepreneurship—countries where business failure can land you in jail, disappearing R&D budgets at major corporations, and why universities must step into the innovation gap. He explains why 40% of Australian companies have fewer than 10 employees, how he's already started his first Melbourne company with 15 more in the pipeline, and why Australia actually has more accessible capital than the United States.

For mid-market CEOs facing growth challenges, Michael offers battle-tested wisdom on staying innovative, maintaining urgency, and remembering that if you see a problem, 12 people in China probably do too.

About Deborah's guest, Michael Poisel

Michael has spent almost 20 years becoming an expert in spinning out companies from universities. Currently, he's the Executive Director of the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre, leading efforts to scale its operations into an enterprise that meets the needs of everyone in the university ecosystem (students, staff, researchers, and alumni). Previously, Michael built entrepreneurial programs at the University of Pennsylvania for over 16 years and was responsible for creating Penn’s internal venture studio, PCI Ventures, which includes UPstart, UPadvisors, and Venture WarmUP. As part of these programs, he participated in the founding of over 280 companies that have raised over $950 million in funding.

Prior to Penn, Michael made investments in enterprise software and business services for NewSpring Capital, Apax Partners, and GE Capital, spanning more than ten years in private equity. He began his career in manufacturing operations at General Electric/Lockheed Martin and contributed to the successful completion of several commercial and government satellite programs.

Michael graduated with honors in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, holds an M.S. in Systems Engineering from The Moore School of Engineering of the University of Pennsylvania, and has an M.B.A. in finance and entrepreneurial management from The Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

About The Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre

The Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre is situated at the University of Melbourne, the number one ranked university in Australia. Right in the middle of the city of Melbourne, the Centre bridges the critical gap between world-class research and global impact for societal benefit.

The Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre cultivates a vibrant entrepreneurial culture by turning ideas and technologies into companies and providing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.

Its collaborative programs connect entrepreneurs with leading industry experts, researchers, investors, and mentors to accelerate venture creation and impact. From ideas to global expansion, the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre helps innovators bring transformative ideas to life.

When surgeons stop your heart during surgery, who keeps you alive? That's where Chet Czaplicka comes in.

This Detroit native went from ICU nurse to building the world's largest perfusion company—but not the way you'd think. After seeing post-op cardiac patients in the ICU, Chet asked one simple question: "What exactly do you guys do?" That curiosity launched a 42-year career.

Perfusionists are the people who become your heart and lungs during surgery. They manage the machines that keep your blood flowing and oxygenated while surgeons work on your stopped heart. During COVID, when patients' lungs failed by the thousands, Chet's teams provided extracorporeal life support at levels he'd never seen in four decades.

Here's what sets Chet apart: He's turned down multiple private equity offers that would've made him wealthy beyond measure. Why? "I wasn't put on this earth to buy a yacht. My purpose is way different than that."

Instead, he measures success in reduced kidney injuries, lower stroke rates, and better patient outcomes. He's poured tens of millions back into advancing the technology because, as he puts it, "When I walk out of that operating room, I want to know I delivered the best possible care to that patient."

From a partnership offer in Fort Wayne he turned down (too small-town for a Detroit guy in his 20s) to building operations across the globe, Chet's story shows what happens when purpose drives profit, not the other way around.

Chet's Bio:

Chet Czaplicka is the Founder and CEO of Comprehensive Care Services, a perfusion led company providing perfusion, autotransfusion and related allied health services to hospitals across the United States and internationally. He founded CCS in 2002, building it from a handful of hospital accounts into the largest perfusion provider in the world and now a global perfusion leader. As a practicing perfusionist and registered nurse, Chet keeps CCS focused on patient care, clinical excellence, data-driven decision making and strong hospital partnerships. He continues to lead the organization through growth, innovation and an evolving healthcare landscape.

Chet on LinkedIn.