ZLI Alumni Summit
On June 7th and 8th, the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies hosted the Zell Alumni Summit. The ZLI Alumni Summit is designed to support UM alumni entrepreneurs in achieving startup growth. During the program, resources and connections are made available to broaden their networks and develop new strategies for taking their businesses to the next level. There were over 30 participants in this 2018 cohort, representing 9 states across the nation, as well as Washington D.C. and Mexico. We recruited 27 coaches with expertise in entrepreneurship, venture capital and law, and participants were able to customize their experiences by choosing their coaches for high impact conversations, receiving one-to-one direct feedback in concentrated sessions.
Program participants were a diverse group of founders and CEOs of startups across industries, including heathcare technology, custom fashion and beauty, packaged foods and software solutions, to name a few. Facilitated sessions and interactive workshops, in Ann Arbor, focused on branding and scaling, and a fireside chat led by an investor from Resonant Venture Partners and Desai Accelerator alumni of Gwydion. Our audience also gained insights on what VCs look for in portfolio companies and learned more about accelerator programs from the CEO of 500 Startups. Latham & Watkins LLP generously hosted a networking nightcap for our alumni in downtown Ann Arbor.
UM Alumni Entrepreneurs
These alumni entrepreneurs were immersed in to the hub of Detroit’s startup/VC eco-system during a D-Trek, beginning with a visit to the city’s roots of innovation at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant and concluding at Grand Circus and the M@dison Building with panel discussions led by our friends at Rockbridge Growth Equity, LLC, Bedrock, Rock Ventures, StockX, Floyd, Vectorform and partner organization, Endeavor Detroit. Founders gained a deeper understanding of the current investments and developments that are fueling the revitalization of the Motor city.
ZLI presented this 2018 Summit in partnership with Endeavor Detroit. This organization operates with the support of an unrivaled network of seasoned business leaders, and works to catalyze long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring and accelerating the best high-impact entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs in Endeavor’s network have successfully scaled their businesses and created job opportunities in nearly every industry and region around the world. Members of this network served as coaches and panelists.
