We are so excited to announce this year’s Zell Entrepreneurs! This talented group was chosen through a competitive application process that included all 19 schools at the University of Michigan.

Zell Entrepreneurs is an elite program designed to support students committed to working full-time on their businesses after graduation. This immersive, year-long program offers mentorship, resources, and funding to help participants prepare their ventures for launch.

This year, Zell Entrepreneurs has expanded, introducing two distinct tracks for entrepreneurs: Venture and ETA. The Venture track is for those starting and growing a company from the ground up, while the ETA track is for individuals seeking to acquire and lead an existing business.

 

Venture Track

 

Cameron Allen

Novl’d

Novl’d is a platform that cultivates community among book lovers, where our data-driven algorithm helps users discover their next favorite read, as well as friends and potential dates to share those experiences with. It serves as an all-in-one hub for books, reviews, and book clubs.

 

Maya Ambady

H.E.A.L.

H.E.A.L. (Helping Each other Advocate Loudly) is a platform-based app designed to facilitate patient-provider communication—specifically for Black, Indigenous Women of Color (BIWOC)—through appointment preparation and practice, learning modules, and an online health community.

 

Yash Goyal

Evoltik International

A non-ferrous foundry and machining operation in India serving top OEMs in North America. We specialize in making international trade affordable and reliable, with a focus on personalized and flexible customer service.

 

Zachary Joelson

RushLink, Inc.

A social media and brand agency platform that connects Greek life students with brands through events, content creation, and unique engagement opportunities.

 

Grant Kruger

Arbor Medical Innovations

Helps physicians support patients with chronic pain by providing a standardized, FDA Cleared, clinical-grade objective biomarker to support clinical decision making.

 

Dhiya Krupashankar

NeoNest Global

A nonprofit delivering affordable infant warming solutions to fight neonatal hypothermia in Sub-Saharan Africa’s low-resource hospitals.

 

Chiao Lin

Mixel Studio

We specialize in mixed-reality experience design and development, creating enjoyable, meaningful, and impactful applications. Our team of experienced designers, developers, and researchers leverages immersive technologies to bring innovative experiences to life.

 

Jonah Liss

MeetYourClass

MeetYourClass helps universities leverage Gen Z’s go-to social platforms to bolster enrollment. The platform has been adopted by eight university admissions departments and over 400,000 students across 1,000 colleges.

 

Ryan McManus

Sceptre Surgical

A medical device company dedicated to addressing implant-related orthopedic infections caused by resilient biofilms, which are up to 1,000 times more resistant to conventional treatments and deadlier than breast cancer.

Blake Mischley

MeetYourClass

MeetYourClass helps universities leverage Gen Z’s go-to social platforms to bolster enrollment. The platform has been adopted by eight university admissions departments and over 400,000 students across 1,000 colleges.

 

Megan Pouncy

Auralink

A full-service AI assistant and software application developed to ease the burden of providing informal care and support to those with functional disabilities who are living in their homes.

 

Brianna Ross

H.E.A.L.

H.E.A.L. (Helping Each other Advocate Loudly) is a platform-based app designed to facilitate patient-provider communication—specifically for Black, Indigenous Women of Color (BIWOC)—through appointment preparation and practice, learning modules, and an online health community.

 

Nathan Shatz

Milieu

A personalized cosmetics platform that analyzes your skin microbiome to create custom products using advanced scientific analysis and AI.

 

Cory Sihombing

Agro Santara Indonesia

Agro Santara Indonesia empowers local farmers by providing blockchain-enabled, sustainably sourced cinnamon, ensuring fair compensation and delivering premium-quality, traceable products to global consumers while eliminating intermediaries to maximize profits.

 

Ryosuke Takenaka

Wiillow Inc.

This mobile app for children aged 2–5 uses AI-powered animated avatars and engaging videos. The app helps children develop communication skills and compassion through conversations with the AI avatar, fostering their well-being and enabling them to build healthy relationships with friends and at school.

 

ETA Track

 

Chris Brymer

Before attending Ross for his MBA, Christian served seven years as a Logistics Officer in the Marines, leaving active duty as a Captain in 2023. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and two daughters and is seeking a business to acquire and manage in Michigan.

 

Pavani Chennamsetti

Pavani combines finance experience from Deloitte and Citco with entrepreneurial insight from co-founding a social enterprise in India. She is focused on leveraging this background to pursue opportunities in entrepreneurship through acquisition, to revitalize and scale promising businesses.

 

Tyler Jensen

Tyler has extensive experience in strategy consulting and value creation in private equity, collaborating with both startups (Series C) and Fortune 500 firms. He also advises startups and enjoys golfing and skiing.

 

Drake “Drake” Leonard II

Drake is an experienced entrepreneur and finance professional with a background in search funds, sales leadership, and private banking. He specializes in driving growth through operational improvements and optimizing sales and marketing processes, particularly in mission-critical B2B services and strategic M&A.

 

Tyler Malm

Tyler is an Executive MBA student and holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Michigan. His professional experience spans sales, business development, product management, and general management in the commercial HVAC industry. He currently lives in Plymouth, MI, with his wife and two kids.

 

Rob Squiers

Robert is from the Metro-Detroit area and studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan for his undergraduate degree. He served as a Nuclear Operations Officer in the US Navy for six years and then worked as a Project Manager at a cleantech startup.