Aaron Ford Email & Phone Number

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

I founded Candella (later incorporated as a registered charity in 2019) to address a critical gap in non-clinical mental health services in Melbourne. The service gap emerged when several major incumbent providers scaled-back or withdrew services following a major reform of the funding landscape in Victoria.Bootstrapping the organisation from a $10k investment, within 3 years Candella grew to more than 1,000 monthly active clients and $12m revenue. This growth was driven almost entirely by word-of-mouth. Central to our success was leveraging technology to build an efficient and flexible business model. This approach freed up the resources we needed to develop a skilled workforce that could deliver high-quality, client-centred, trauma-informed services. Often we heard from prospective clients (or their support people) that they were happy to go on our wait list because they just "want a Candella worker", such was the calibre and reputation of our team.In addition to delivering high-quality services, our team focused on operational excellence and continuous improvement in all facets of the business. In 2021 we achieved a top 10% ranking in the McKinsey & Co. Organisational Health Index (OHI). This included top 10% scores for 7 of the 9 OHI performance domains: Leadership, Accountability, Innovation and Learning, Capabilities, Motivation, Work Environment, and External Orientation.In July 2024, while our industry was undergoing significant consolidation in a challenging funding environment, Candella successfully transitioned most of its service delivery operations to One Good Day. Candella ceased operating in August 2024 after delivering almost half a million hours of support over six years. In the course of winding up the company, we donated $413k in surplus funds to Foothills Community Care. I'm proud of what our team achieved together. We made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of people who needed some extra support in their lives.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Whyalla, Australia

Certificate Iv Government Investigations

Graduate Certificate In Counselling & Psychotherapy

Gradudate Diploma In Teaching & Learning

Honours Degree Of Bachelor Of Mathematical And Computer Sciences With First Class Honours, Gpa 7.0/7.0

Bachelor Of Computer Science

Bachelor Of Science, Major In Pure Mathematics