In this inspiring episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik sits down with Mike Keresman—visionary entrepreneur and co-founder of CardinalCommerce, acquired by Visa in 2017. Mike unpacks his journey of scaling multiple billion-dollar ventures, including building the world’s largest digital authentication network. From his early dreams of entrepreneurship to holding 70+ patents and launching one of the first mobile top-up systems in Botswana, Mike offers real-world wisdom on resilience, innovation, and quiet leadership. Tune in as he shares why eliminating friction—not just fraud—was key to his success, and how “quietly spectacular” lives can create the most lasting impact.
About the Guest:
Mike Keresman is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of CardinalCommerce, a pioneer in payment authentication technology. Under his leadership, the company expanded to five continents and was acquired by Visa. With over 70 patents and decades of leadership experience, Mike blends technical brilliance with human-first innovation. He’s also the author of the upcoming book Quietly Spectacular, which encourages everyday individuals to pursue a meaningful life without the need for spotlight fame.
Key Takeaways:
Entrepreneurship is more about people and innovation than flashy risks.
Real growth comes from removing friction for customers—not just preventing fraud.
A cloud-first, system-agnostic approach helped scale globally without needing merchants to overhaul their systems.
Scaling overseas often brings more acceptance than domestic expansion.
“Success isn’t a straight line—it’s a series of learning curves.”
Connect with Mike Keresman:
Mike is working on launching a personal website and book (Quietly Spectacular). Stay tuned for more updates from Mike in future episodes.
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life?
DM on PodMatch: DM Me Here
🎧 Tune into all 15 podcasts:
https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/healthymindbyavik
📬 Subscribe to Newsletter:
https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com
👥 Join Our Community:
https://nas.io/healthymind
Stay Tuned and Follow Us:
YouTube – @healthymind-healthylife
Instagram – @healthyminds.pod
Threads – @healthyminds.pod
Facebook – Podcast Page
LinkedIn – Reema Chatterjee | Avik Chakraborty
#podmatch #healthymind #healthymindbyavik #entrepreneurship #digitalinnovation #quietleadership