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.
About Claire
Claire joined Plymouth Growth as an Analyst on the Execution Team in April of 2025. She is a recent graduate from the Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business with a degree in finance. Prior to graduation, she played an active role in several student organizations across campus, including co-founding Warrior Ventures, Wayne State University’s first student-led venture fund. Before joining full-time, Claire interned with Plymouth across two consecutive semesters, contributing to deal sourcing and market research initiatives. She brings additional experience from roles in the Office of the President at a Fortune 500 company and in healthcare reimbursement consulting at a national advisory firm.
What are you most looking forward to about being a Venture Fellow?
As a Venture Fellow, I am looking forward to taking a more active role in Michigan’s venture community and helping facilitate MVCA events that bring investors and entrepreneurs together. I was fortunate to have had a bit of exposure to MVCA through my student organization involvement in college, and I am looking forward to building on that foundation. I also think that being a Venture Fellow provides a unique opportunity to reflect more deeply on the progress, projects, and opportunities I will have over the next couple of years, rather than letting them skim by without taking the time to appreciate and learn from them.
What attracts you to Michigan’s venture capital industry?
I am drawn to Michigan’s venture capital industry because I am able to contribute to an ecosystem that creates space for change-makers and risk-takers in my home state. I feel deeply connected to the idea that I can play a role in the sometimes gradual but tangible impact of the collective efforts of entrepreneurs and investors. It is also exciting to be part of an industry that has traditionally thrived in coastal cities but is now gaining significant momentum here in Michigan. Having called Michigan home since my very beginnings, I feel a strong personal connection to the work this industry is doing to uplift one another and drive positive change across our communities.
What ideas do you have to support and advance DEI in our entrepreneurial and investment community?
I view supporting DEI in our entrepreneurial and investment community as lighting a spark, and lighting that spark early. I believe the zest for innovation and entrepreneurship often begins at a young age. The earlier we introduce students and children to leadership, innovation, and healthy risk-taking, the more likely those traits will follow them into their futures. That said, I want to acknowledge that many factors influence whether someone feels empowered to take risks. Access, support, representation, and a sense of safety all play a role in shaping whether that mindset carries into adulthood and, ultimately, their careers. Specifically, I think that lighting that spark for students and children who don’t get that early exposure could be a starting point to help lay a foundation for all their future endeavors. Hopefully, this would lead to a more diverse and well-rounded group of entrepreneurs and investors in the future.
What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
This is a great question, and honestly, I’m not sure at this point. I recently had this conversation and found that I have peers who have aspirations to earn a specific title in their careers. While that is a perfectly valid target for what they are trying to achieve, that has never been something that I have thought about or really focused on. While I am uncertain about exactly what my future holds, I hope to follow the advice my dad gave me a long time ago, which is: “be good at what you do and be good to people while you do it.”
What’s your dream deal — the company you wish YOU had spotted first?
My dream deal would be investing in a company like Shazam. I think that the concept of identifying songs by listening to snippets was such a stunning way to transform the way that we find new music. Now, technology has taken this concept one step further with companies like SoundHound which allow you to hum/sing a melody yourself and the app will identify the song. It’s absolutely awesome!