Hi, I'm Michelle, CEO at SkillsTrust. Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by a deep curiosity about what drives economic mobility. I’ve explored this from different angles - starting at Enterprise Ireland, an economic development agency, then spending a decade in the education technology sector, first at Pearson Education, and later as a Partner at Rethink Education, an impact fund focused on unlocking the full human potential of marginalised communities.Now, as CEO and Founder of SkillsTrust, I’m focused on a critical piece of the puzzle: pay transparency. Our mission is to make it easy for every small and medium-sized business operating in the EU to implement pay transparency through trusted data on jobs, skills, and pay levels.After so many years in edtech, people often ask why I’m now focused on pay transparency. For me, it's clear. Pay gaps aren’t just about unequal pay for equal work (though that’s an issue); they’re often driven by issues of representation and access to opportunity.With the EU Pay Transparency Directive coming into effect in 2026, companies now need to address gender pay gap issues head-on. Some may resist, citing "structural barriers," but many recognise this is not only legally required but also something today's employees expect.That’s where SkillsTrust comes in - providing the tools and data SMBs need not only to comply with the EU Pay Transparency Directive but to close pay gaps for good and drive meaningful economic progress.