Michael Podolsky

Michael Podolsky
Born (1974-04-07) April 7, 1974 (age 52)
Ukraine
EducationKharkiv State Polytechnic University; Queens College (CUNY); NYU Stern School of Business
Occupationsbusinessman and consumer-rights advocate

Michael Podolsky (born in Ukraine, April 7, 1974) is a Ukrainian-American businessman and government official. He is the co-founder of the PissedConsumer website. He served in various deputy ministerial roles in Ukraine between 2015 and 2023, focusing on foreign trade, sanctions policy, and the modernization of e-government services.

Early life and education

Michael Podolsky was born in Ukraine and later moved to the United States to pursue higher education and begin his career.

From 1991 to 1993, he studied at Kharkiv State Polytechnic University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Economics. From 1993 to 1996, he attended Queens College, City University of New York, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Between 2000 and 2004, he completed an MBA in Finance at NYU Stern School of Business.

Business career

Michael Podolsky started his career in 1995 at JPMorgan Chase in network administration, later holding developer and analyst roles at Bank of America and Banc of America Securities. In 1999, he joined Robeco USA as Vice President of Applications Development, a position he held until 2005. He then worked as a consultant for firms including UBS, CGI-AMS, and Allianz Global Investors. From 2007 to 2011, he managed investor-services technology, and in 2011, he became the Director of Investor Services Technology at SS&C GlobeOp.

In 2006, Podolsky and a business partner launched PissedConsumer.com with an initial investment of $200, providing consumers with a public forum for grievances. Over time, the site has grown to host millions of consumer reviews, serve over 28 million registered users, and have online reviews on more than 158,000 companies.[citation needed] By 2025, the company had expanded its service to include artificial intelligence, business strategy, and engineering.

In late 2015, PissedConsumer published numerous complaints about Roca Labs, a weight‑loss company that was later targeted by a Federal Trade Commission investigation for deceptive promotions. In January 2016, PissedConsumer initiated legal action to counter false DMCA takedown notices submitted by entities associated with Roca Labs, defending consumer speech and exposing misuse of copyright claims to suppress criticism.

In 2023, Podolsky was nominated for the Top 100 USA Entrepreneurs of Ukrainian Origin and received the TOP USA Award for his business achievements. In 2024, he received a Gold Stevie Award in the category Best Entrepreneur – Consumer Services at the American Business Awards.

In 2023, 2024 and 2025, both PissedConsumer and WiserBrand were placed on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies.

Social responsibility

In 2023, Podolsky and PissedConsumer.com launched the Ukraine Support Project, which provided Ukrainian and American consumers with information about companies that continued to operate and pay taxes in Russia.

References

  1. ↑ Podolsky, Michael (23 April 2024). "What do companies still in Russia value most: Reputation, principles or profit?". The Washington Times. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  2. ↑ Brown, Stacy M. (2022-11-16). "Has Black Friday Lost Its Luster? Depends on Who You Ask". The Washington Informer. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  3. ↑ "Money Does Stink: Michael Podolsky's Fight Against Corporate Complicity in Russia". Foreign Press. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  4. ↑ "U.S.-Ukraine Tech Partnership Initiative Strengthens Bilateral Cooperation in Washington D.C." Strategeast. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "The Pissed Consumers Guide to Companies Departing Russia". Euromaidan Press. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  6. ↑ "Michael Podolsky". The Org. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "CTMF 2024 Panel Abstracts" (PDF). SME. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 "Michael Podolsky". CMSWire. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  9. ↑ "SOCAP Event Details". SOCAP. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  10. ↑ Masnick, Mike (2015-09-25). "FTC Finally Goes After Roca Labs For Its Sketchy 'Weight Loss' Scheme & Misleading Promotions". Techdirt. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  11. ↑ Masnick, Mike (2016-01-28). "Pissed Consumer Gets To Go After Roca Labs For Its Bogus DMCA Takedowns". Techdirt. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  12. ↑ "Consumer Review Fairness Act: What Businesses Need to Know". Federal Trade Commission. 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  13. ↑ "Top 100 USA Entrepreneurs with Ukrainian Origins". Top USA Awards. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  14. ↑ "2024 American Business Awards". Stevie Awards. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  15. ↑ "Wiserbrand is a 2024 Inc. 5000 honoree". Inc.com. Archived from the original on 2024-11-22. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  16. ↑ "PissedConsumer.com". Inc. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  17. ↑ Lynch, Sarah (July 8, 2024). "How These Founders Beat the Odds to Build Multiple Inc. 5000 Companies". Inc. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Бойкот компаній, які не залишили російський ринок". The Ukrainians. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  19. ↑ "The Pissed Consumer's Guide to Companies Departing Russia". Euromaidan Press. 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  20. ↑ "Website Shames Companies Dealing with Russia". NTD. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  21. ↑ "Українські активісти закликають бойкотувати компанії, які відмовляються залишати російський ринок". Голос Америки. Retrieved 2026-08-13.