Lawyer to founder

Michelle didn’t succumb and came up with the alternative name of Kaboose, drawing on the idea of the caboose, which is the last car on a freight train where the train crew congregates to relax.

Alex had a somewhat unusual introduction and time at Freehills. Having studied commerce at university (in Western Australia), he switched to law after working as a transcript officer in the law courts and becoming interested. He was also drawn to the world of legaltech and, while at university, took the initiative to set up a club for law students to learn more about legal technology. He wrote his thesis on the commercial strategy for engaging with regulators on the impact of technology as it applied to law.

He then put his theory into practice, helping start a financial technology company called Bamboo, which developed proprietary mechanisms for investing in alternative assets, including cryptocurrencies. When Bamboo was acquired by a PE company (a deal in which Herbert Smith Freehills advised), Alex pondered his next move and did some academic research and consulting, including with the Australia Tax Office. It was this that brought him into contact with Freehills. He discovered that Freehills had – at the time - a legal technology joint venture with IBM, working on emerging legal technologies. To Alex, the Freehills team working on that joint venture seemed like a great example of how lawyers could effectively work on emerging technologies, and very unique in the market at that time.

Seizing an opportunity, Alex agreed to join that team, but, in discussions with managing partner Tony Joyner, said he would like to qualify as a solicitor at the same time. After this was agreed, he joined the Perth office in February 2019 and settled immediately in the commercial and technology practice group. Working directly under then Global Head of Digital Law Natasha Blycha, Alex was involved in establishing the firm’s Digital Law Group. After the joint venture completed, and the Digital Law Group was established, and encouraged by both Tony and Natasha, Alex felt it was time to set his horizons a bit wider, leaving in September 2020.

Alex says: “I am not a woman, obviously, and I am not a neuroscientist, so it is really important that I listen more than I speak. At the same time, I have a lot of operational, regulatory and technical expertise that I can give to the cause, and I get a lot of meaning out of working on something that I know is impactful and deeply needed.”

For Michelle, she has had to tap into the expertise of others to push her business forward.

In particular, she has worked with product developers, working from the sketches she drew up. An absolute priority has been to ensure data security and protection from potential abusers.

Having said that, she finds herself handling product strategy, project management and fundraising, among other things. Michelle is funding the business herself at the moment, but is hoping at some stage to attract investors and/or to be able to monetise the app. She is not looking to charge individual users, but to get support from employers. “More and more employers are recognising the need to have neurodiverse workforces, and so that should give scope to support my app.”

She may be pushing at an open door there: many businesses, including Herbert Smith Freehills, take neurodiversity seriously and are putting appropriate policies in place. Another potentially good source would be national health services.

Meantime, Michelle is getting the word out about the app. She is using podcasts and social media, and is gaining traction not least because of the authenticity of her story. “I also find that videos of animals and small children do well!” she jokes.

For Alex, marketing involves specific targeting. “As a pre-market medical device, a lot of our community and patient engagement is happening through our partner clinics. We’re involved in five different clinical trials across the world. Emilė is also extremely active within the local women’s health and scientific communities.”

Both reflect on how useful their time was at Herbert Smith Freehills and the skills they gained to equip them as they embarked on their business ventures. Michelle says, “Working at Freehills, specifically in the IP area, gave me a fantastic insight into innovation and the IP process. Having this knowledge as an entrepreneur is extremely valuable. As the people manager for the department, I was also exposed to presenting to executives and senior partners, which has helped my confidence to pitch Kaboose to investors and others.”

Alex adds: “From my time with Freehills, I gained attention to detail, problem-solving, a strong work ethic and not being fazed when dealing with regulators! However, the real secret sauce I got from working at Freehills is that the people at the top of the organisation, were not just brilliant lawyers but were able to seamlessly add commerciality on top, to really deliver what businesses require.”

There are obstacles to overcome, not least the disruptions the aftermath of a global pandemic, or complex geopolitical structures, can play on hardware supply chains. But Alex has taken these steps in his stride, motivated by the entrepreneurial drive that he and Emilė have developed a truly groundbreaking product that has the potential to help literally millions of women worldwide.

Michelle, too, is driven to succeed, in her case inspired to help those who have been excluded from mainstream settings draw comfort from linking with others and lead connected lives, particularly in the workplace.