Practicing good presentation delivery skills will help you connect with your audience and turn a positive first impression into opportunities. Join us for 20 minutes of valuable input you can use to immediately up your presentation game and take your entrepreneurial journey to the next level. Noah Bar with StreetMeet, a bluetooth-based social networking https://traderoom.info/enterprise-technology-consulting/ app that facilitates real-world connections.

• She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and French Studies from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and an MBA with a focus on Project Management from Southern New Hampshire University.
• Practicing good presentation delivery skills will help you connect with your audience and turn a positive first impression into opportunities.
• Michael led the formation of and continues to serve as Chair for MCN Association’s Angel Investment Review Committee.
• With deep expertise in turning vision into business reality, he has coached Fortune 100 executives and worked with over 200 startups worldwide.

Diane Durance, a leading expert in Michigan’s startup community, will be our moderator. A Tel Aviv-born entrepreneur, Doron York has been building and scaling tech companies since his early 20s, achieving multiple successful exits. With deep expertise in turning vision into business reality, he has coached Fortune 100 executives and worked with over 200 startups worldwide. His intrapreneurship systems have driven breakthrough growth, with clients reporting significant revenue and market share increases. As former Navy SEAL officer, Doron applies high-performance leadership principles to business, and as dedicated Michigander for 32 years, he is committed to making Michigan a global tech hub.

• Please visit our Sponsor Directory to learn more about how these organizations can help you.
• The round was led by Hyde Park Angels, with participation from Sandalphon Capital, Base Investments UK, and others.
• However, the barrier to entry is higher given the unique challenges foreign entrepreneurs face not only when they pursue building a startup from scratch but also when established startups want to recruit them.
• At our March 2025 event, we honored Alexa and Johnnie Turnage, Co-Founders of Black Tech Saturdays, with the 2024 NEF Community Champion Award for their transformative impact on the startup ecosystem.
• It saves time, boosts revenue, generates leads, enhances profile engagement and provides business intelligence, at a fraction of the cost of single-function tools.

Join our members and celebrate the accomplishments of the outstanding startup entrepreneurs being recognized by New Enterprise Forum. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and French Studies from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and an MBA with a focus on Project Management from Southern New Hampshire University. Currently, Jacquelene works as a Program Manager on the Growth Capital Team at TechTown Detroit. This exciting news signals the next phase of Tenacity’s journey, following an impressive 30% month-over-month growth rate since January 2021 and the integration of Microsoft Azure into the platform.

This award recognizes two individuals who have made a huge positive impact by devoting their time and energy to building a robust startup community in our region and who have directly and indirectly fostered the growth of numerous entrepreneurs. The NEF Startup Community Champion award for 2024 goes to Alexa and Johnnie Turnage, Co-Founders of Black Tech Saturdays. Please note that, while this award is being announced now, Alexa and Johnnie can not attend the February NEF forum event due to a conflict and will actually be presented with their award at our March NEF forum event. This award recognizes an individual who has made a huge positive impact by devoting their time and energy to building a robust startup community in our region and who has directly and indirectly fostered the growth of numerous entrepreneurs. Come join us in person to enjoy food and drink and conversation with members of the local startup community.

Please visit our Sponsor Directory to learn more about how these organizations can help you. The NEF Entrepreneur of the Year Award is given to an individual who is not only changing the world in a good way through their entrepreneurial accomplishments, but is also inspiring others with their vision, leadership and achievements. The 2024 winner is David Zacks, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ONL Therapeutics. Dr. Zacks is a clinician-scientist and the Edna H. Perkiss Research Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Michigan, Kellogg Eye Center. For over 20 years his research has focused on the molecular regulatory mechanisms controlling photoreceptor death or survival in retinal disease. Dr. Zacks is a pioneer and recognized thought leader in the field of retinal neuroprotection and photoreceptor cell physiology.

Ben Chutz offers 15 yrs in growth-centric leadership roles across sales, marketing, customer, operations, and data analytics, including co-founding 2 SaaS companies (B2C and B2B) that were acquired. Now at Impact Initiatives, Ben partners with impact-driven founders and leadership teams at early-stage SaaS companies and tech-forward nonprofits to accelerate growth and minimize risk. David Bloom is a veteran of thirteen startups, an advisor or director with four emerging companies, and a mentor for scores of innovative technology ventures in Life Science/Medical Devices, Advanced Materials/Cleantech, and Cloud/Mobile Applications. David is the Executive Director of the Pointe Angels investment club, where he is responsible for scouting, screening, due diligence, and coordinating deal flow with Angel investors across the state. David organizes monthly investor meetings to showcase qualified startups, preview rising stars, and update investors on portfolio companies. David holds a BSE in Electrical Engineering, and an MSE in Industrial & Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Article: Where To Find Mentorship For Your Michigan Startup

In 2021, he was named CFO of Digested Organics, ushering them through their sale in 2023, and then brought back by the acquiring company in 2024 to assist them in their billion dollar sale. Michael has been an EIR with SPARK and Spartan Innovations, assisting founders with early stage company formation and strategy. He created and taught a class on startups for the Michigan Association of CPAs, been a Mentor at Ross, and was Host of the BELL Insight Series on financing tech focused ventures. Jen Laidlaw, owner of TeamWerks Talent Development and Consulting, where she helps small businesses improve team and leadership effectiveness with a focus on values, positive company culture, and practical outcomes.

ALUMNI NEWS: SPELLBOUND AWARDED $1.8M GRANT

With 20+ years of experience in manufacturing and digital marketing, Jen creates honest, fun, and effective learning experiences to address talent development challenges. Several founders who received NEF coaching in past years will rejoin us to share inside stories of their journeys down the path of entrepreneurship. They will share their initial visions for their companies and how those have grown or evolved over the years of interacting with their customers and investors. At our March 2025 event, we honored Alexa and Johnnie Turnage, Co-Founders of Black Tech Saturdays, with the 2024 NEF Community Champion Award for their transformative impact on the startup ecosystem.

Pitch Pit and Showcase Presentation: somaLYNC

Jeff Ponders II, Principal with Invest Detroit Ventures, is a founder-first investor with a passion for helping people turn vision into value. Over his 20-year career, he has distinguished himself as an innovative business leader with a creative perspective honed from his work as a jazz musician and best-selling author. After graduating from the Wharton School, Jeff scaled the ranks at leading global marketing agencies for clients such as General Motors, Samsung, and Colgate. He leveraged his experiences across tech & marketing to launch multiple startups and Commune Angels.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

BTS has grown from a single event into a nationwide movement, empowering Black, Brown, and underestimated founders while driving over $30 million in economic impact. Recognized by the Governor, the Mayor of Detroit, and industry leaders, Alexa and Johnnie are reshaping Michigan’s innovation economy. PakItGreen is a sustainable packaging company, offering effective food safe barrier and functional coatings that are recyclable, compostable, biodegradable and PFAS-free. PakItGreen owns and exclusively licenses a group of technologies to support its growing product portfolio, including inventions out of Michigan State University School of Packaging.

Expert Panel: Scaling Marketing with your Startup

Come join us in person to enjoy food, drink, and conversation with members of the local startup community. Their work is more than just an initiative—it is an engine of change, accelerating the rise of a new generation of entrepreneurs, technologists, and wealth builders who are no longer knocking on doors but building their own. From securing six- and seven-figure deals for Black, Brown, and underestimated founders to placing Detroit at the center of a national conversation about inclusive innovation, Alexa and Johnnie’s impact is undeniable.

Don has been a member of the Woodward Angels since 2019 where he has invested as an individual and as a member of SPEs (Special Purpose Entity). His portfolio is concentrated in Life Sciences, Technology and Manufacturing and he’s experienced both wins and losses. His angel investing experience has been augmented by over three decades working with global and local manufacturers in the automotive supply chain and small business. He holds a BS in Agricultural Engineering from South Dakota State University, an MSME from Purdue University, and an MBA from University of Michigan. New Enterprise Forum is proud to have the September forum meeting be part of a2Tech360, Ann Arbor’s week-long celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship! Click here for more information, and to learn about all that is happening there during the week.

Annual Entrepreneur Awards Announced

Users create profiles with interest tags and are matched with nearby individuals sharing similar interests. Michael Koziara, Chair, Angel Investment Review Committee, Michigan Capital Network Association. Michael is an early-stage investor and board member born and raised in Metro Detroit. His professional experience includes working at the Boston Consulting Group, General Motors, and Michigan Capital Network (MCN).

Hear how these angel investors are building their portfolios and what it takes to become one of their investments. Diane Durance, a leading expert in Michigan’s startup community, is the moderator. This panel will explore the investors’ perspective and successful strategies that have worked for startups that have gotten deals done.

He is currently the Director of Strategic Initiatives at American Residential Services / Rescue Rooter. Michael led the formation of and continues to serve as Chair for MCN Association’s Angel Investment Review Committee. Milieu is dedicated to revolutionizing skincare through cutting-edge science and personalized solutions. It believes that every person’s skin is unique, and their skincare should be too. By analyzing your skin’s microbiome, Milieu creates custom formulations that work with your body’s natural processes, not against them.