Michigan VCtalk

Ara chats with Robert Wolfe, co-founder and CEO of Zeck. Robert is a serial entrepreneur who's no stranger to innovation, having previously co-founded Crowdrise and Moosejaw. Now, with Zeck, he's rethinking how boards and leadership teams operate—transforming clunky, outdated processes into streamlined, digital experiences.Michigan VCtalk is a podcast series produced by ⁠⁠⁠Michigan Venture Capital Association⁠⁠⁠ (MVCA) and hosted by Ara Topouzian, Executive Director of MVCA.This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠Michigan Rise, Pre-Seed Fund III⁠⁠⁠.

Ara chats with Michigan Venture Capital Association members and Venture Fellow recipients Terese Hunwick (Augment Ventures) and Caroline Wolanin (Plymouth Growth). Caroline is one of the first Venture Fellows when MVCA relaunched the program a few years ago. She shares her experience in the program and the exciting work she's now doing at Plymouth Growth. We're also joined by Terese Hunwick who gives us insight into her background and the impactful work she's leading here in Michigan.Michigan VCtalk is a podcast series produced by ⁠⁠Michigan Venture Capital Association⁠⁠ (MVCA) and hosted by Ara Topouzian, Executive Director of MVCA.This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠Michigan Rise, Pre-Seed Fund III⁠⁠.

Ara chats with Ben Marchionna, Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Ben plays a key role in fostering innovation, supporting entrepreneurs, and strengthening Michigan's tech and startup landscape. We'll explore his insights on building a thriving innovation ecosystem, the impact of public-private partnerships, and what we all need to be doing to drive investment in Michigans future.Michigan VCtalk is a podcast series produced by ⁠Michigan Venture Capital Association⁠ (MVCA) and hosted by Ara Topouzian, Executive Director of MVCA.This episode is sponsored by ⁠Michigan Rise, Pre-Seed Fund III⁠.

Ara chats with Blake Mischley, Co-Founder of Meet Your Class, a platform designed to help students build meaningful connections before their first day. Ara and Blake talk aboutthe inspiration behind the idea, the challenges of launching a startup, and what's next for Meet Your Class. Whether you're an entrepreneur, an educator, or just love a good startup story—this episode is for you.Michigan VCtalk is a podcast series produced by Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) and hosted by Ara Topouzian, Executive Director of MVCA.This episode is sponsored by Michigan Rise, Pre-Seed Fund III.

In this episode, Ara sits down with Justin Turk, CEO & Co-Founder of Livegistics, the game-changing cloud-based platform revolutionizing the construction and waste management industries. Justin shares his journey from startup to scaling, the impact of real-time data on operational efficiency, and how Livegistics is driving innovation in traditionally paper-heavy industries.

Ara chats with Cindy Warner, Founder of 360ofme, an ethical data exchange platform. Cindy is a an active member of the Michigan ecosystem who also serves on the Michigan Strategic Fund that helps promote economic development within the State of Michigan. (Ara sat down with Cindy during the 2024 Michigan Tech Week activities).  

Ara chats with Paula Macpherson, Executive Director of Velocity which is a catalyst for culture change designed to accelerate innovation, re-invention and growth for businesses. Located in Sterling Heights, MI, they are an incubator, accelerator and coworking space combined in one world class facility. Paula's role is in helping Velocity grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem by strengthening relationships and partnerships within their county. Special thank you to our generous podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. For more information on MVCA, please visit: https://michiganvca.org/

Ara talks with Monica Wheat who is currently the Managing Director of the Techstars Detroit Accelerator Powered by JP Morgan, part of a global seed-stage accelerator in 40+ cities worldwide. She previously served as a Techstars Startup Programs Lead for 10+ years leading programs globally and is the Founding Co-Director of Founders Boost, a global Pre-Accelerator and for Techstars program now live in 20 cities. Monica's extensive experience in tech startups and venture capital offers invaluable insights into the entrepreneurial landscape. Our conversation delves into her journey, the challenges she's faced, and her vision for the future of innovation in Michigan. Don't miss this engaging and insightful discussion. Special thank you to our generous podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  

Ara chats with two MVCA Venture Fellow recipients: Jacqueline Lensing (Grand Ventures) & Sapna Patel (Michigan Capital Network) about their path to Michigan and venture capital. Special thank you to our generous podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Ara talks with Mykolas Rambus, a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. Mykolas brings a wealth of experience from his impressive career, including his roles as CEO of Wealth-X and Head of Business Development at Bloomberg LP. Join us as Mykolas shares his unique perspectives on venture capital, the challenges and opportunities in the tech industry, and his journey from startup founder to influential investor. Special thank you to our generous podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  

Ara talks with Atomic Object's Co-CEOs, Shawn Crowley and Michael Marsiglia.Atomic Object is a custom software development consultancy that creates web, mobile, desktop, and embedded applications for a diverse range of clients.Both are known for their forward-thinking approach and remarkable leadership; Shawn and Michael have guided Atomic Object to the forefront of custom software development.

Ara talks with Mike Flanagan, Managing Director of the Michigan Angel Fund and Vice President at Ann Arbor SPARK. Mike and Ara discuss the ecosystem, the importance of angels, entrepreneurs and much more. Special thank you to our sponsor: Michigan Rise.

Ara talks with both Broc Edwards and Reuben Levinsohn, managing partners of Exit Quotient Ventures. Exit Quotient Ventures is a founder focused venture capital fund headquartered in Lansing, MI. The firm was founded in an effort to help grow the Midwest's entrepreneurial ecosystem and play an integral part in funding pre-seed and seed stage companies as they scale.

Ara talks with Katie Hall is the Founder and CEO of Claira Technologies, a pioneering workforce optimization platform tailored for industrial enterprises.With a decade-long commitment to assisting organizations in navigating the transformative influence of AI on the workforce, Katie's diverse background in business, public policy, and government enriches our discussion with invaluable insights. 

The Michigan Venture Capital Association is proud to offer the Venture Fellows Program to Michigan's venture capital community. The program, launched in 2023, is designed to increase the number of venture professionals in Michigan in order to accelerate the fundraising and deployment of capital into early-stage companies. Michigan VCtalk features two of the MVCA Venture Fellows, Caroline Wolanin, Plymouth Growth and Keegan McGuire, Arboretum Ventures. Listen to their track toward getting into venture capital and what they hope to gain our of the Fellows program.

Ara Topouzian, Executive Director of Michigan Venture Capital Association talks with Raffaele Mautone, former CIO of Duo Security and current Founder and CEO of Detroit-based Judy Security (formerly AaDya Security). Raffaele's strategic thinking and effective leadership have been instrumental and paramount in his career as an IT, sales and operations professional. I talk with Raffaele about his rich background as well as Judy Security which is a cyber security company that offers cybersecurity software solutions for small and medium businesses. (Programming note: since the recording of this episode, the company was rebranded to Judy Security.) For more information: https://www.judysecurity.ai/

Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA), the nonprofit trade association that advocates for more capital and talent for Michigan's entrepreneurial and investment community, released its 2023 MVCA Research Report, a comprehensive analysis of investment activity that has had a positive impact in the state. Ara talks with members from the MVCA Research Report committee including Dan Kidle, Arboretum Ventures, Jeff Rinvelt, Renaissance Venture Capital and Prem Bodagala, Red Cedar Ventures. Special thank you to sponsor Michigan Rise.

Podcast host and Executive Director of Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA), Ara Topouzian talks with Andy Fowler, CEO & Co-Founder of Nutshell, a user-friendly customer relationship management platform formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Nutshell is dedicated to helping small businesses grow their revenue and solving the most critical challenge of sales and marketing software: motivating teams to use it. Special thanks to Michigan Rise as Michigan VCtalks' podcast sponsor. For more information about MVCA, please visit https://michiganvca.org/

Podcast host and Executive Director of MVCA, Ara Topouzian talked with Dr. Dawn Batts. She has over two decades of experience, analyzing business opportunities, developing and implementing strategic plans, and managing their subsequent operations and compliance processes. Her diverse professional experiences and extensive research have led to her solutions-based approach in addressing the myriad of factors causing the economic disparity between women and men. Dawn's research investigates how macro narratives influence women's perceptions and experiences of gender equality in the United States and China. As a Capital Strategist for Tech Town -- Detroit's entrepreneurship hub -- Dawn secures and aligns resources that help Detroit-based entrepreneurs achieve the vision and goals of their businesses. She extends that work as a co-founder of Commune Angels, a diverse community of investors who seed scalable consumer, enterprise and life science companies that transform lives. Special thanks to Michigan Rise as Michigan VCtalk's podcast sponsor. For more information on Michigan Venture Capital Association, please visit http://michiganvca.org

This marks Michigan VCtalk's 30th episode! Podcast host Ara Topouzian has a dynamic conversation with Johnnie Turnage, Founder of EvenScore, an impact-focused donation platform startup which began in 2021. Since then, Johnnie has been immersed into the Michigan founder ecosystem as an award-winning grassroots activist and tech entrepreneur. He is passionate about the entrepreneurial community and wants to give back to the community. Special thank you to Michigan Rise as Michigan VCtalk's podcast sponsor. For more information about Michigan Venture Capital Association: http://michiganvca.org/

Ara talks with Ryan Landau, Founder of Purpose Jobs. Ryan set out to create a platform that empowers people to find jobs they will love; a platform that is centered around people, community, education, and culture. Their goal is to create a business that does something important and meaningful in the world. Special thank you to podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit.

Brandon Marken is President and CEO of Lean Rocket Lab: a manufacturing-technology focused business incubator and accelerator. They are currently running an Industry 4.0 Accelerator, powered by Automation Alley and in partnership with LTU Centrepolis. Special thank you to podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit.

Since joining 100K Ideas shortly after its 2017 launch and becoming executive director in 2020, Brandee Cooke-Brown has helped focus the organization's purpose, work and ability to engage with the local Flint community. 100K Ideas seeks to relieve the entrepreneurial burden innovators face and help them, through mentorship, create products and services that can fuel startup businesses. Special thank you to our podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit. Background music supplied by Pixabay.

Quentin L. Messer, Jr., is Michigan Economic Development Corporation's (MEDC) CEO and President and Chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund. Quentin is charged with implementing and executing MEDC's core mission of business development and attraction, community development, providing access to capital and enhancing Michigan's image and brand with a focus on building a strong and equitable economy for all Michiganders. His responsibilities include managing the administration of all programs, funds, personnel, contracts and other administrative functions of MEDC. Special thank you to podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit. Background music supplied by Pixabay.

Part two of a special two part series with Ara Topouzian, Executive Director of Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) narrating the history of how venture capital started to form and grow in the state of Michigan. Included in this podcast are audio clips featuring some of the early pioneers that helped shape venture capital activity in Michigan as well as those responsible for forming an organized community now known as MVCA (which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2022). Special thank you to podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit. Background music supplied by Pixabay.

In this special two part podcast episode, Ara Topouzian, Executive Director of Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) narrates the history of how venture capital started to form and grow in the state of Michigan. Included in this podcast are audio clips featuring some of the early pioneers that helped shape venture capital activity in Michigan as well as those responsible for forming an organized community now known as MVCA (which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2022). Special thank you to podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit. Background music supplied by Pixabay.

Ara talks with Michael Cole, President of the Technology Industry Group with Bank of Ann Arbor. Bank of Ann Arbor's Technology Industry Group provides a full range of banking products to emerging and later-stage technology and life sciences companies, venture capital firms, angel investors and entrepreneurs. Special thanks to podcast sponsors Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit.

Ara talks with Steve Tobocman and Ernestine Lyons of Global Detroit about the work their organization is doing to support the immigrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. The second half of the podcast highlights a native of India, Ayush Agarwal, a product leader and angel investor who has led major initiatives at Google and Facebook. He is the co-founder of Pencil Learning Technologies, a software solution that offers content management, workflows and communications for educators to structure and maximize student learning while saving time. Pencil has raised $5 million in venture capital since joining Global Detroit's Global EIR program in 2020. Recently, Ayush and Pencil were selected to participate in Y Combinator, one of the world's most successful and prestigious startup accelerators. Michigan VCtalk is proudly sponsored by Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit.

Ara talks with Steve Tobocman and Ernestine Lyons of Global Detroit about the work their organization is doing to support the immigrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. The second half of the podcast highlights founder Ashok Seetharam, PAXAFE and he discussed his startup and how Global Detroit supported his desire to stay in the US.

Ara talks with Jeff Wesley, Executive Director of Red Cedar Ventures, the venture investment subsidiary of the MSU Foundation. In his role, he actively manages and grows the company's venture investment portfolio. Jeff is also Executive Director for Michigan Rise Pre-Seed Fund III invests in Michigan tech startups to help commercialize innovative technologies. Prior to Red Cedar Ventures, Wesley served as CFO of Two Men and a Truck from 2008 to 2015, then as the company's chief executive from 2015 to 2017. Under his leadership, the company grew from $186 million to over $500 million in annual revenues and earned a place among Crain's Detroit Business' “Cool Places to Work”.

Ara talks with Jeff Ponders II who joined the ID Ventures team in April 2021 as Principal, Portfolio Success. In this role Jeff works closely with portfolio company founders as they scale toward major growth milestones and reach material valuation inflection points. Jeff is a passionate leader for the entrepreneur ecosystem and it shows in this podcast. Michigan VCtalk is proudly sponsored by Michigan Rise and Invest Detroit.

Ara had a chance to talk to Vince Nystrom, Partner at Renaissance Venture Capital. Renaissance Venture Capital is organizing the April, 2022 DEI UnDemo Day® which will bring together some of the region's top early-stage companies and technologies for a virtual event with venture capital investors from around the country. This is the first UnDemo Day® designed exclusively to attract national venture capital to diverse founders. The virtual event will highlight companies from the Midwest and Central U.S. led by women, people of color, and other diverse communities.

Ara had the opportunity to talk to both Matt Bower and Zach Meyer, attorneys for Varnum LLP. The discussion centered on their program MiSpringboard, a statewide initiative designed to remove some of the barriers associated with starting a business by providing free legal services to Michigan startups. Varnum launched the MiSpringboard program in 2011 as a way of helping Michigan's then-struggling economy with a commitment of $1 million in free legal services. MiSpringboard was our way of helping the economy by doing what we do best – providing high-quality legal counsel to qualified businesses and individuals. Due to the overwhelming success of this program, in 2016 Varnum renewed its commitment to Michigan startups by dedicating a second $1 million in free legal services through the MiSpringboard program.

MVCA Executive Director, Ara Topouzian is joined by former MVCA Chair, Michael Gross (Beringea) for a recap on activities that transpired in Michigan during 2021. They discussed talent, deal flow, exits and funding rounds which were notable as well as under the radar.

Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) Executive Director spoke with Jeff Farrah, General Counsel of National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). Jeff discusses NVCA's policy priorities for 2022 as well as provide additional legislative updates. More information on MVCA can be found at michiganvca.org This podcast is sponsored by Michigan Rise.

Brad's two decades in the space field and many professional awards recognize his research contributions in propulsion. He holds a Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, has served on numerous NASA, Department of Defense, and Intelligence Community advisory panels, and has published more than 100 papers on space propulsion systems. Brad is a past recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award from President George W. Bush “for innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology, and for the exceptional potential to shape the future.” In 2002, Brad founded Aerophysics Inc. This closely held company has delivered intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solutions to government customers from multiple agencies. He is currently principal investigator on three satellite missions. Orbion Space Technology has been a two time winner at the Michigan Venture Capital Awards recognizing their achievements.

Steve Robert is the co-founder and CEO of Autobooks, the first fully integrated payments and accounting platform for Small Business - delivered through financial institutions. Autobooks provides an embedded receivables solution (invoicing & payments) bundled into a checking account via internet banking which helps banks and credit unions provide “back-office” services that help small businesses get paid faster and automate accounting.

Jan Garfinkle founded Arboretum Ventures on the premise that innovation is key to delivering value in healthcare, a principle she developed working in the medical device industry for over two decades. Her investments focus on promising medical technologies that enable meaningful healthcare system savings while maintain great clinical outcomes. Jan has led and held board seats in more than a dozen investments across five funds. Ara and Jan touch on a variety of topics including her background, the work she has accomplishment working with the National Venture Capital Association and how she started Arboretum Ventures.

Skot Welch is the Founder/President of Global Bridgebuilders (GBB). The firm is a results-focused organization with extensive experience in the development and implementation of sustainable, process-focused cultural competency, inclusion initiatives accomplished through comprehensive assessment and measurement systems development. He is also a Managing Partner of the newly formed New Community Transformation Fund. This is an investment fund based in Grand Rapids, Michigan to support diverse business owners. The fund aims to increase ethnic and racial diversity in business ownership in West Michigan. In addition, it will focus on businesses that intend to provide multi-generational wealth creation within historically disadvantaged groups. Ara and Skot talk about this new fund as well as other issues surrounding diversity, equity & inclusion.

As associate vice president for research – technology transfer and innovation partnerships, Kelly works closely with the vice president for research as well as other leaders across the university to provide visionary and strategic leadership of UM's innovation, business engagement and technology transfer activities, including the Office of Technology Transfer and the Business Engagement Center. In this role, she supports and encourages university-wide programs for intellectual property development, innovation, and engagement with business and venture communities in the region, across the nation, and around the globe. Ara and Kelly talk about the work happening at the Tech Transfer office and their impact in Michigan as well as a new fund they created.

Jim is a Chicago native who joined Invest Michigan in 2016. He has over 10 years of experience in finance, entrepreneurship and business development. At Invest Michigan, Jim sources and leads new deals, manages and supports portfolio companies and serves on the boards of select portfolio companies. Jim and Ara had a great conversation covering a variety of topics including how Invest Michigan was created and the work they have done over the years with the Michigan entrepreneur community but we also discussed his methodology on working with entrepreneurs and managing expectations as well as his advice on how he approaches providing valuable support to them; and then we covered some of the work that is needed to help attack unconscious bias when it comes to helping fund diverse entrepreneurs.

Wayne Embree, Executive Vice President at Rev1 Ventures (Columbus, OH) is an experienced seed-stage investor with a track record of fueling startups with guidance and venture capital. He's been involved in over 200 investments, including sitting on over 50 boards and taking more than 60 businesses through exits. Throughout his career, he has maintained his passion and enthusiasm for helping entrepreneurs change the world. Wayne has a BS in Natural Sciences from Western Oregon and an MS in Urban Planning from the University of Oregon. This episode is sponsored by Michigan Rise (www.michiganrise.com)

MVCA recently presented a webinar focused on an analysis of the venture and entrepreneurial community in Michigan through the release of the 2021 MVCA Research Report. This event features Michael Gross (Managing Director, Beringea, MVCA Chair), Jeff Rinvelt (Partner, Renaissance Venture Capital, MVCA Vice Chair & Research Report Chair) and moderated by Ara Topouzian (Executive Director of MVCA). This episode is sponsored by Michigan Rise (www.michiganrise.com)

Chris Rizik is the founder, managing partner, and Chief Executive Officer of the Renaissance Venture Capital, a first-of-its-kind network fund formed by a consortium of Fortune 1000 and major private corporations. Renaissance works to invest in and strategically connect venture capital funds and start-up companies with major corporations. Chris is also the founder and publisher of SoulTracks.com, America's most popular soul music online magazine. Recorded in October, 2020.

Ara talks with Adrian Fortino, an experienced founder, operator, engineer and investor in the industrial technology sector. He is a Managing Director and leads the Intelligent Manufacturing practice at Mercury Fund (Houston, TX). Mercury Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm. With over $300 million under management, Mercury focuses on entrepreneurs and technology innovation originating in the U.S. Midcontinent.

MVCA hosted a recent virtual webinar with Jeff Farrah and Justin Field from the National Venture Capital Association to discuss venture investing in the year ahead, including the impacts related to the Biden-Harris administration policy items, tax and carried interest, research and tech transfer, and capital markets.

Ara talks with Razat Gaurav, CEO of LLamasoft, an artificial intelligence supply chain management company. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, LLamasoft was acquired by Coupa for $1.5B, marking a significant exit for their venture capital investors. Learn more about Razat's background and philosphies of being a founder.

Ara talks with David Ollila, whose pivotal work for improving and growing local economies has captured the attention of leaders at all levels and earned him multiple invites to the White House. David had his first idea for a product as a seven-year-old worried about his mother cutting fruit. Though the idea never quite stuck, David hasn't stopped tinkering to find solutions to problems he encounters. A serial entrepreneur, innovator and inventor, he now holds 16 patents on everything from sporting goods to wearable technology. While constantly thinking about new ideas, David provides his expertise and experience to help cultivate entrepreneurship and opportunity in Flint at Skypoint Ventures, 100K Ideas and the Ferris Wheel Innovation Center. (Special thanks to James Carpp, Rehmann for engineering this episode)

This episode features Jennifer Baird, Founder & CEO of Fifth Eye. She is a serial entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience founding and leading high potential startups as CEO. Her vast experience includes raising angel capital, grant funding for early-stage tech companies and raising venture capital funding as companies grow. She currently leads Fifth Eye, an Ann Arbor, MI based medical device software company building clinical early warning systems for hospitals. (special thanks to James Carpp, Rehmann for engineering this episode)

Have you ever been interested to listen from individuals that make up the great strength of Michigan's investment and innovation community? Their strategies, insights, philosophies have had a major impact affecting the overall economic growth and drive job creation in our great state. Welcome to Michigan VCtalks! Our podcast series will spotlight a variety of these guests. We will talk to investors – VC's and Angels. These conversations will extend to entrepreneurs – Founders and Startups, as well as other thoughtful leaders that are making a difference in the Michigan ecosystem. My name is Ara Topouzian, and I am the Executive Director of Michigan Venture Capital Association and also the host of Michigan VCtalks. As the voice of the Michigan entrepreneurial and investment community, our association strives to increase the amount of capital and talent available to venture and angel investors so we can fund Michigan's most innovative entrepreneurs and work closely with them to transform breakthrough ideas into new companies and industries. So what do you need to do next? That's easy….tune in and listen to Michigan VCtalks! Follow, subscribe and share our episodes with others. Thank you!