From English Major to Award-Winning Reality TV: An Unlikely Journey Transforming Financial Health

Michael Cyr ’92’s career journey has been anything but ordinary. Today, as the Executive Director of the Opportunity Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to improving financial health for those in need, Cyr’s career in the financial world began in the most unexpected of places: as an English major at Ursinus College.

A native of the Boston area, Cyr envisioned college as a small campus, dotted with a leafy landscape that surrounded old buildings—a place where everyone knew one another.

“Once I visited Ursinus, everything clicked. I liked the vibe,” Cyr said.

Like many students, Cyr didn’t know what professional direction he wanted to take, so he chose English because of his love of reading. Through his education, he learned the power and value of storytelling.

“We learned how to read, synthesize text, make an argument, present, and speak—all the important skills that make up a liberal education,” Cyr said.

Cyr was very involved on campus, competing on the swim team, working as an English tutor and admission tour guide, and co-founding the college’s first gay and lesbian student group. After graduating, he still didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do, so when an opportunity in banking arose, he took it.

Cyr began as a management associate at a bank in Philadelphia, earning a management certificate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, before continuing to climb the professional ladder in North Carolina and eventually Georgia. He furthered his education at Georgia State University, earning an MBA in marketing in 2007. After years of working in the marketing department at a large international bank, Cyr moved to Birmingham, Ala. to pursue a new area within banking.

Unlike his previous roles, Cyr’s new position allowed him to focus on the financial health of customers for the first time in his career. His new company had a unique strategy of offering products and services that encouraged historically underserved populations to enter the financial system safely. As he continued to work with this new strategy, Cyr found himself drawn to this new mission of financial empowerment.

“I spent the first 20 years of my career helping rich people borrow money, and I wanted to spend the second half of my career actually making a difference for the people who need it,” Cyr said.

As the years passed and Cyr became further embedded in the financial health ecosystem, his passion grew. He attended conferences and expanded his network within the field.

“When I went to my first conference and realized there’s this whole universe of people that are working on financial health and inclusion from all different dimensions, it felt like I found my people,” Cyr said.

Despite his increasing success, the bank reorganized and cut the program Cyr had invested so much of his energy into.

“Once the bank reorganized and cut the program, I realized I didn’t want to do anything else and left to seek other opportunities,” Cyr said.

After tapping into his network, Creator and Executive Producer of “Opportunity Knocks” Jamie Strayer came and presented a unique opportunity.

“Opportunity Knocks” is a reality TV show on PBS that follows the journey of people and families struggling with financial health. The tools and resources provided in the show come from The Opportunity Initiative, the organization Cyr now leads. In his role, Cyr oversees operations, fundraising, and partnerships with philanthropic organizations, sponsors, and tech partners. Rather than traditional marketing, the show itself serves as a marketing tool to funnel people to the organization.

“We found that the unscripted format with real families doing the work and moving along is really relatable, authentic, and inspires people to act,” Cyr said. “Even If you’re not struggling with your financial health, people still enjoy the show and it builds a lot of empathy, which we can all use a little more of today.”

The success of “Opportunity Knocks” lead to a nomination from the Academy of Reality Television Awards for the “Best Feel-Good Show of the Year”. The show was up against network mega-hits “The Voice”, “Shark Tank”, and “America Ninja Warrior”.

“After the nominations were announced, we said that we were honored just to be nominated,” Cyr said. “And it was not lip-service. The recognition would help amplify our stories about helping families along their financial journey, along with the likes of these great well-known shows.”

The entire production and management team traveled to Hollywood for the awards ceremony, and to Cyr’s surprise, “Opportunity Knocks” won the award, beating out network TV titans.

“[It was] the most bonkers experience of my entire life; I don’t think anything will ever come close to winning that award,” Cyr said. “When they called our name, I was absolutely flabbergasted. I walked up on stage and was like, ‘how is this my life now? A year ago, I was making PowerPoints in a conference room at a bank, and now I’m on an award stage in Hollywood.”

The win was a major milestone for “Opportunity Knocks” and The Opportunity Initiative. Cyr hopes it will lend credibility to the show, attract a larger audience, and guide people toward the resources the organization provides. The award also secured additional sponsorship dollars, funding the third season of the show.

Cyr remains deeply connected to Ursinus. Like many alumni, he credits the small campus experience for the reason he still feels so connected to the place he once called home.

“I will always have an affinity for Ursinus and what that experience meant to me,” Cyr said.

Looking ahead, Cyr plans to continue expanding the Opportunity Initiative, helping more people improve their financial health. His journey from English major to financial health advocate has shaped him both personally and professionally.

“Be willing to do something outside your comfort zone, and that may open the door to other opportunities,” Cyr said.