A fireside chat with Appriss founder Mike Davis and CFO Jeff Byal

Michael (Mike) Davis serves as the Executive Chairman and serves on Appriss’s board of directors. He provides strategic counsel to the CEO and helps identify strategic areas of growth and innovation for Appriss – be it through R&D or through M&A.

Mike co-founded Appriss in 1994 and has helped build it from an early stage startup with pioneering technology to help crime victims to a leading data, analytics and technology provider in multiple markets. Mike is a two-time winner of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. In 2004, he was awarded the prestigious Paul H. Chapman award by the Foundation for Improvement of Justice.  In 2009, he was awarded the US Congressional Crime Victims Award in recognition of his work on behalf of crime victims throughout the country. And in 2019, Mike was inducted into Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

In 2000, Mike helped launch the Mary Byron Foundation in honor of the young woman whose tragic murder inspired the creation of Appriss. This charitable organization focuses on ending the cycle of domestic violence. He continues to serve as an active board member of the Mary Byron Foundation and also serves as an advisor to several other entrepreneurial and charitable organizations.

As Chief Financial Officer, Jeff partners with the executive team and investors to bring a strategic perspective and financial and operational discipline to the team. He is a strategic financial leader with experience in working with teams from early concept-stage companies to executive leadership at both private and billion dollar public, multi-national organizations. He has a track record in, and passion for middle market growth organizations.

Over the past 20 years, Jeff has served both private and public companies leading finance, treasury, accounting, tax, human resources and legal in the technology, retail, and consumer finance markets.  He’s raised more than $1.8 billion of debt and equity financing and led & managed $500 million in M&A transactions.  Jeff also gained valuable experience leading sales, organizational and strategy transformation at two companies while serving as Interim CEO.

Jeff joined Appriss in 1996 as its seventh employee, remained for over 5 years and rejoined in 2016.

He attended Iowa State University where he received his BBA in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.