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.
Bio Update
Austin joined Augment Ventures as a Venture Analyst in May 2025. Over the past year, Austin has taken on an increasingly hands-on role across the firm — leading weekly deal calls, owning the management and continued emergence of Augment’s deal-flow pipeline, running end-to-end diligence cycles, writing internally facing memos, and creating newsletters, are just a few of the notable things that run through the day-to-day of Austin’s workflows.
What are some of the most important skills you’ve learned during your fellowship and how have they benefited you?
Almost a year in and I’m still very much in “sponge mode” as a friend of mine would say. Every week brings a new sector to dig into, a new founder conversation that reframes how I think about a market, or a new operational challenge that forces me to figure it out on the fly. I don’t think that changes — and honestly, I hope it doesn’t. The people who thrive in this industry are the ones who stay genuinely curious, and this fellowship opportunity has really helped me reinforce that.
The skill that’s grown the most is my ability to form conviction quickly. When you’re screening hundreds of deals a quarter, you learn fast how to cut through noise — identifying what actually matters in a company’s story versus what sounds good on a pitch deck. That pattern recognition didn’t exist for me a year ago. Pair that with the reps I’ve gotten leading diligence cycles, building internal memos, and owning our pipeline infrastructure, and I feel like I’ve compressed years of learning into a pretty short window. I’m still very much a student of this game, but the foundation is there in a way it wasn’t before and is continuing to build through every pitch deck scanned and memo written.
So far, what’s the most memorable thing you’ve experienced during your fellowship?
It’s hard to narrow it down to just one moment — but what stands out most is our Annual AMA event in Ann Arbor last September. That same week, we held our team offsite in and around the Ann Arbor and Detroit area, which gave me valuable face time with my team outside of our typical remote setting. Beyond the internal co-working, being able to bring together 50+ people from across the ecosystem — founders, investors, bankers, and other partners — and connect with individuals at every level of the Michigan venture landscape made it a week I won’t forget.
How are you promoting a diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial and investment community in Michigan?
One way which a few colleagues around the ecosystem and I are trying to create an up-and-coming tech / investment community within the ecosystem. The goal is to lower the barrier for people breaking into the tech / startup ecosystem who don’t have the traditional pedigree or network. Aiming to continue to foster young talent while also staying connected to existing talent within the ecosystem. Additionally, I continue to be passionate about the growth and development of Wayne State’s entrepreneurial development with both Warrior Ventures, the student-run venture capital arm of the University, as well as the startup ecosystem representation at the Mike Ilitch School of Business.
What excites you the most about your career in Michigan?
Being born-and-raised here in Michigan, I have been able to witness firsthand the continuous development throughout the years. Anyone who knows me, knows I am such a Michigan believer (asides from this past winter has really doing a toll on me), and knowing that more people are starting to drink the Kool-Aid and realize there is such a large turnaround happening — meaning more capital, talent, and overall enthusiasm being poured into the state to create something much bigger going forward…not quite to the scale of the coastal cities, but having as much of an impact with a Midwest twist to it.
Besides work, what is one of your passions or aspirations — what do you love to talk about?
For those who know me, I’m a pretty ambitious and talkative person — so narrowing this down to just one thing is tough. But lately, I’ve been exploring content creation on social media as a way to build my own personal brand. I’m no influencer by a wide margin, but it’s become a real passion project this year. Whether it’s fitness, supplements, football, finance, or just general lifestyle, I enjoy documenting pieces of my life and sharing a more creative side of myself. It’s been its own entrepreneurial journey — learning to build and further develop something completely new within my own endeavors.