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Gerry Roston, NEF board member and recent past president, has joined TechTown Detroit as an executive in residence (EIR). As an EIR, Roston’s role is to identify technologies at regional universities, hospitals, and corporations that are ready to be spun off into new entities; provide business assistance to TechTown’s tech startups; and at the end of the one year assignment, take on the CEO role for one of the startups with which he worked. Roston is excited about this new role, “With the rebuilding of Detroit in full swing, I have to believe that there are numerous, viable technologies just waiting to be accelerated. These types of businesses will attract more talent to Detroit, which will further help the rebuilding process.
Paul Riser, managing director, technology-based entrepreneurship at TechTown, is pleased that Roston has accepted this role. “The Detroit Technology Exchange (DTX) [the programmatic partnership that supports the EIR position] is focused on recruiting and grooming talent for tech entrepreneurship opportunities and on converting innovative technologies into Detroit-based startups. Given Gerry’s expertise and extensive network of connections throughout the state, we are certain that he will have a positive impact on the Detroit tech entrepreneurship community.”
Roston’s recent interactions with TechTown were as an instructor for the Labs Venture Accelerator and the DTX Launch Detroit. In both cases, he represented NEF and provided instruction on effective investor presentations. According to Roston, “The quality of the teams in both sessions was amazing – and that was a key factor in my deciding to become more involved with TechTown.”
Detroit Technology Exchange (DTX), a partnership between TechTown Detroit, Bizdom, Invest Detroit, and the Detroit Creative Corridor Center. It is supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.’s Michigan Strategic Fund and the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan.
