‘Coffee for a Cause’: How Traild Is Making a Difference for the Parkinson’s Community

Monday, 12th January 2026

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Traild is a global fintech company with team members spread across more than 15 countries. To keep their remote team connected and strengthen culture, the organisation regularly hosts in-person events. ‘Coffee for a Cause’ was one such initiative, which saw teams hosting brunches at their office or joining ‘virtual brunches’ for their team internationally. Together they shared their ‘We Are Team Players’ spirit with the wider world and raised over $3,500 for Shake It Up Australia and innovative Parkinson’s research. We spoke with Mark Stafford, Global Operations Director at Traild, to find out more about this amazing workplace initiative and how their team stepped up to support this important cause.

Tell us more about the ‘Coffee for a Cause’ initiative? How did this idea first come about?

‘Coffee for a Cause’ emerged from a deeply personal inspiration. Our team wanted to contribute to something bigger than ourselves, and when our teammate Eva shared that her husband Jules had been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s, we saw an immediate opportunity to turn empathy into action.

Why did you choose Shake It Up as the charity beneficiary?

When we asked Jules how we could best support him, he immediately recommended Shake It Up due to your direct and impactful approach to Parkinson’s research. Your track record of tangible results made the decision incredibly straightforward. He wanted any support to go straight to the solution and Shake It Up does that.

What have been some of the highlights of this fundraising?

Our leadership team stepped up in a big way, pledging entertaining commitment challenges for each fundraising milestone reached. From our VP of People bravely recording a lip-sync performance, to our VP of Global Partnerships convincing his second-in-command to take on a fiery Hot Sauce Challenge, these moments brought energy and enthusiasm to the entire campaign.

The biggest highlight? Surpassing our fundraising goal and hitting 142%, driven by genuine connection and joyful competition.

Do you have any advice for anyone looking to make a difference like you have?

Jules himself has shown us the way: making a meaningful difference doesn’t require carrying the heaviness of the disease. You can spark genuine impact by creating opportunities for connection, laughter, and generosity.

Our advice? Find creative ways to bring people together and lighten the load, not only can you raise funds and awareness, but you’ll also uplift spirits in the process.

You can find out more about Traild here, or support their ‘Coffee for a Cause’ initiative here.