Exit Interview: MVCA Venture Fellow John Bonhard
At Beringea, MVCA Venture Fellow John Bonhard helps the firm invest in startup companies at the growth/expansion stage, long after their days of incubator space and initial round of seed funding. But he quickly realized these companies required a different skill set to find, invest in, and manage than the early-stage tech startups he once… read more
Guest Post: 4 Things to Mention When Counseling Your Portfolio Companies on Public Relations
With offices in Seattle, Denver, and Detroit, 2017 Bronze Service Provider Member, Barokas PR works with entrepreneurs in emerging and high-growth industries. In this exclusive guest post, Director of Barokas PR’s Detroit office, Rachel Fukaya shares her insights on how startups in the community can jump-start their PR programs and share the great activity happening in… read more
Meet MVCA Venture Fellow Jake Simon, Fontinalis Partners
The incredible innovation happening in Michigan, especially Detroit, attracted Jake Simon to a career in the venture capital industry. As he embarks on his career with Fontinalis Partners as a senior analyst, Jake spoke with MVCA about his new role at the firm, his plans to help build great businesses in Michigan (and some day open an Italian… read more
2017 Mackinac Policy Conference Recap
by Maureen Miller Brosnan, Executive Director, MVCA Mackinac Island may not have had the best weather this year, but this didn’t stop the change-makers attending Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference. This year was one of our most productive years yet at the Mackinac Policy Conference. MVCA had the opportunity to meet extensively with almost… read more
“Molly” Your Calendars!
Dear MVCA Members, It’s MVCA Events and Program Manager, Molly Theis, here to encourage you to take part in Michigan’s entrepreneurial and investment community this year! We not only want you to attend our MVCA Events but also functions hosted by your fellow MVCA Members. See below for a preview of the exciting things going… read more
Research Series Post 1: Is Lack of Seed Stage Capital Hindering Michigan’s Economy?
MVCA is excited to kick off the first post in our research report series! These posts are developed from the findings identified in the 2017 MVCA Research Report. Like last year’s series, we are turning to Michigan’s entrepreneurial and investment community to hear their perspective on a specific trend. This week, we explore the topic of… read more
Highlights from MGCS & “The Big House” Reception
MVCA loved celebrating Michigan’s entrepreneurial and investment community at Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) last week – check out some of our highlights! MGCS teamed up with Coulter Investment Forum for its 36th annual investor event that brings together over 500 angel investors, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, university technology transfer offices, and researchers from across the nation…. read more
Entrepreneur Spotlight: How Detroit Startup Quikly Found Fast Success in Michigan
Quikly is a Detroit-based information technology startup that offers a digital marketing platform for retailers that provides limited time deals and discounts. This startup company secured investment from Detroit Venture Partners and went on to receive additional support from Plymouth Growth Partners. “The investment and expertise from our Michigan investors were pivotal to our company’s… read more
Meet the MVCA Staff: Scarlett Ong
This week, Scarlett Ong joined MVCA as our 2017 summer intern! Ong is a sophomore at University of Michigan who is passionate about learning more about the entrepreneurial and investment community in Michigan. Driving this enthusiasm is her experience in research, communication, project management and entrepreneurship. In 2016, she was a Project Manager at Apex… read more
Guest Post: Conquer Accelerator Gears Up for its Second Year
In this exclusive guest post, Paul Jaques, Conquer Accelerator’s Program Director, talks about the accelerator’s upcoming season and entrepreneurship at Michigan State University. Share on Twitter: .@MSU_Conquer gears up for its second year, talks about upcoming season & #entrepreneurship https://ctt.ec/BHE0u+ The Conquer Accelerator kicks off its second season on June 5th, and over the last few… read more
