Michigan Nonprofit Builds Support Network For Startup Founders With Focus On Philanthropy


Foundation: Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation

credit: edmondjsafra

If you're a startup founder in Michigan, you're in luck: A new nonprofit aims to connect you with other like-minded entrepreneurs across the state, the Detroit Free Press reports.

"Our mission is pretty simple: We exist to grow the presence of diverse-led and successful high-growth ventures and advance civic leadership in Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem," says Trista Van Tine, executive director and co-founder of the Michigan Founders Fund.

The Ann Arbor-based nonprofit, which received federal designation as a 501(c)(3) organization in December, has more than 40 members consisting of startup founders and venture capitalists, and Van Tine says it wants to reach across the state to create a "founders-for-founders culture."

"For us to really help move Michigan forward, let's talk about Michigan being a place for tech to thrive and grow," says Erika Block, a tech entrepreneur who's now principal at Ann Arbor-based business coaching and consulting firm StickyLab.

Van Tine, who returned to the state after 14 years away, says Michigan is "at an inflection point for high-growth entrepreneurship and its long-term impact in our state."

Founders Fund plans to invest in causes including equity and inclusion, STEM education, and entrepreneurship. Read the Entire Article


Selected Grant News Headlines

A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.

Impact Investment Strategies Unveiled in New Genconnectu Course by Vegtech ...

"The future is green, and it's ours to invest in." That's the takeaway from Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest, who is offering an online course on "Impact Investing with Plant-based...more

Undergraduate Research Week Poster Competition Winners Announced

"This research pushed me outside my comfort zone and forced me to interact first-hand with hard truths about what social media is being used for in the modern day," Daisy Rehbock writes in her...more

An Evening Worth Its Weight in Art!

Quebec City's Mus ? 'e des beaux-arts du Qu'bec museum is getting a major boost from a single man. Michael Audain, chairman of the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation, has pledged $10 million toward...more

Ford Fund Rebrands as Ford Philanthropy
Foundation: Ford Motor Company Fund

The Ford Motor Company's philanthropic arm is getting a new name: Ford Philanthropy. The rebranding reflects Ford's 75-year legacy of "driving impact in Ford communities around the world," says...more

Philanthropic Cause Takes Center Stage with Apo

Grace Reynolds, 17, sang "Landslide" in the style of Fleetwood Mac, while 11-year-old Rylee Campbell performed "Once Upon a December" in the style of Liz Callaway, but it was Reynolds who took home...more

Communications Officer Job with University Of Western Australia

Western Australia's University of Western Australia is looking for a new director of alumni relations, and the ideal candidate will be a woman with at least five years' experience in donor...more

P.B. Scott Named Ey'S Master Entrepreneur of the Year for Ja

"It's very nice to be recognized. It's an honor to be a part of something that's global." So says P.B. Scott, president and CEO of the Musson Group, after being named the Master...more

Margherita Therese Pappas Obituary

Margherita Therese Pappas was a singer and actor who performed in New York City, San Francisco, Amherst, and elsewhere before settling in Maui with her husband of 18 years, Miguel Sobel. Now...more

The Creative School Doctoral Student Presents Confluence: the Making of Home in Toronto

"There's an intense beauty in the experience of living in Toronto that I hope the viewers recognize in the work," says Francisco-Fernando Granados, a PhD student at the University of...more

Dance Project Brings Together School Pupils and Elderly People in Belfast

"There has been much laughter and plenty of chatter as friendships develop each week between the generations, forging stronger community connections and better awareness of some of the issues each...more





John Converse Townsend, a Forbes contributor, shares what can the private sector do for a social enterprise. He encourages social enterprises to reach out to corporations for help to scale up their businesses.