Prota Ventures reposted this
Thank you to Kathryn Meng and so many ecosystem partners who made the trek out to Michigan for the Centrepolis Accelerator @ Lawrence Technological University C3 Summit, and Michigan Tech Week. I can't thank everyone involved, but I wanted to give shout-outs to those who showed up when it could have been easier to "dial-in": David Blivin with Cottonwood Technology Fund. His perspective on DeepTech / HardTech is 1 of 1 and he has been a great asset and thought partner. Ian Adams and Evergreen Climate Innovations for always supporting and helping lead the Midwest Climate Tech collaborative. Jing Lyon with BRITE Energy Innovators, another example we point to when those in the Michigan ecosystem ask "What is Ohio doing that we aren't?" Allen Chen with BMW i Ventures for making more introductions to companies to us, than us helping them with DealFlow. They've been huge supporters of companies like Our Next Energy (ONE). Jim Mullen, Mac Gerlach and Ross Bosn of UFP Ventures might be the newest CVC in Michigan, but their speed, and quality of deal flow is unmatched. Bobby J. Hopewell, and Daniel Jefferies of Kalamazoo Forward Ventures. Your vision and dedication to Michigan entrepreneurs and creating opportunities for them is inspiring. Kyle Buzzard with Prota Ventures and Glidance Inc. When someone asks who owns a farm south of Kalamazoo and knows how to build and launch HardTech companies, this is the guy. Chad Felton with Mach49, who made the trip last minute after a text message. I can't wait to see how we can work together. Sherman Williams II with AIN Ventures, who made the trip no questions asked. Justine Johnson for being the All-Star she is and continuing to support and grow the future of mobility in Michigan. Kent Helfrich for being a champion of HardTech here in Michigan and supporting our Michigan Manufacturing Angels Group. Kurt Baumgarten and the rest of the team at GM Ventures. We appreciate your support, and constant engagement. Katy Till, Joe Tyler, Colin Dillon, EDFP, Nathan F., Tanya Markos-Vanno and the rest of the MEDC team including Nadia Abunasser, PhD. Riley Hall and Lauren Tzirides at Newlab, I know Michigan Tech Week was nuts, but huge thanks for taking the time to support us! Rachel D. Field with Engine Ventures, for making the trip out on such short notice and having us out to your Tough Tech Summit. #hardtech #climatetech #deeptech #venture #startups #puremichigan
Think of Detroit as a layover city? Think again. Last week I had the pleasure of spending time in a state I pass through often, but have never visited. I've been missing out. There's a real and growing Detroit (and surrounding area) startup and venture ecosystem that is incredibly welcoming. Here are a few places to get started if you want to get plugged in: - Renaissance Venture Capital - Christina Drake and her team put on a multi-sector demo day with personalized matchmaking, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. - Newlab - have you felt the energy in the Brooklyn Navy Yard? You'll find that in Detroit, and maybe even more (Cam Lawrence and Katie Soven - I'll let you battle it out here), thanks to Connor McCarthy for the tour! - Union Heritage put on the warmest and most enjoyable dinner I've been to in a long time - I entered knowing one person in the room and left with plenty of new friends (Ally Siciliano). Thank you for being so welcoming, and for recommending the chicken Nia Batts. - Michigan Central - I can't wait to see what these 30 acres look like in just a few years and the mobility innovations that come out of this district. - Centropolis - Dan Radomski and Phillip S. are facilitating cross-pollination across startups, corporates, and experts, thoughtfully balancing innovation and pragmatism. - Midwest House and the general mentor network - I heard many stories of support throughout the community including the feature on Crystal Brown and CircNova, Inc. Who would have thought that I'd find an old friend in her mentor Dug Song from a long long time ago... - Buddy's Pizza - if you don't know that #Detroit style pizza is a thing, you are missing out (yes, this is coming from a New Yorker). Everyone kept asking if I had tried it yet, and not just Chris Thomas. While you're there say hi to Assembly Ventures. There's much more that I can't fit here. Your takeaway should be - go to #Michigan and stay a while. Make some friends and spread the word on the next gen #MotorCity.