Mikael Cho

Mikael Cho is the Co-Founder and CEO of Unsplash, a platform known for providing high-resolution images for free. He started Unsplash in May 2013, initially as a side project while working on another venture. The idea emerged when Cho and his team faced challenges in sourcing quality images for their website, leading them to share leftover photos from a photoshoot on a Tumblr blog. This initiative unexpectedly gained significant traction, eventually surpassing established competitors like Shutterstock and Getty in terms of image downloads.12

Before Unsplash, Cho co-founded Crew Labs, a company that was later acquired by Dribbble, and he has held various roles in marketing and product management. His journey into entrepreneurship was partly driven by the difficulty of finding a job in Montreal due to language barriers, prompting him to create his own opportunities.23

Under Cho's leadership, Unsplash has grown to become a major player in the image-sharing industry, boasting over 100 million image downloads and 20 billion views monthly.5 He is also involved in investments and has a keen interest in marketing trends and technology.34