Maria Thompson is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence for Arsenal Venture Partners. Maria was President and CEO of T/J Technologies, Inc., a nationally recognized Michigan alternative energy company that she and her husband, Dr. Levi Thompson, co-founded in 1991. T/J Technologieswas acquired by A123 Systems in 2006. A123 Systems is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-power lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, hybrid electric and plug in hybrid vehicles and grid stabilization. Maria ran the Government Solutions Group of A123 Systems after the acquisition until she retired from A123 in 2010. She and her team worked with The United States Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), The Department of Energy and other federal, state and county officials to secure grants and contracts to build the first lithium ion battery manufacturing facilities in Michigan. Maria earned a Masters of Business Administration degree and a Bachelors of Fine Arts (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Prior to starting T/J Technologies, Ms. Thompson worked in industrial design at Steelcase and in marketing at IBM.
Current/Former Director Roles: Maria is Vice Chair of NextEnergy’s Board of Directors and a member of Ann Arbor SPARK’s Board, the University of Michigan Technology Transfer National Advisory Board, the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Zell Lurie Institute Advisory Board, The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute External Advisory Board, United Bank and Trust Washtenaw Market Board and Akervall Technologies, Inc.’s Advisory Board. She served for 6 years on the Advanced Technology Advisory Board for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and is a former member of several non-profit organization boards.