New Enterprise Forum invites anyone interested in entrepreneurship to join us for an ONLINE Forum Meeting.

During this unprecedented time, we want to continue to support our entrepreneurs and give them a chance to connect with the entrepreneurial community, even if it means being VIRTUAL in presenting their ideas and business plans.

We showcase an outstanding team of entrepreneurs who are looking to raise capital for their venture. They have gone through an extensive coaching from our experienced coaches and these founders are eager to present their venture to the entrepreneurial community at this event.

This event gives the start-up the opportunity to practice presenting to investors and others interested in the Detroit Area entrepreneurial community.  Each presentation will reflect NEF training on what is important to communicate and what not to do. They would greatly appreciate your feedback, insights and encouragement. You will also learn a few tips and techniques in sharpening your own pitch for your venture.

Join us at this ONLINE meeting to ask questions, keep pace with local entrepreneurs, and connect with people who support the local start-up community.

Showcase Presenter

eSimplify

eSimplify is a predictive practice analytics platform for primary care physicians. eSimplify helps primary care physicians maximize revenue, identify gaps in care and, most importantly, improve the quality of care for their patients. eSimplify's analysis has shown that primary care practices are leaving billons of dollars in recoverable revenue on the table. As healthcare providers shift to a value-based payment model, eSimplify’s affordable analytics helps small to mid-sized practices successfully make that transition. Founded in 2018, eSimplify is currently focused on primary care physician practice but will be expanding to other specialties in the near future.

Pradeep Kalmat is the founder and CEO of eSimplify. Pradeep worked at Aon Hewitt for over 18 years and was responsible for delivering high quality services in a highly challenging environment across various areas of human resource management. The demanding accuracy requirement of 99% or higher in that field  prepared him to rely on data and metrics that provided meaningful insights to identify inefficiencies and improve processes. Pradeep relied on this knowledge and expertise to assess the market and then design, develop, and deploy eSimplify with the specific goal of creating value for primary care physician and other providers.

Panel Discussion: Looking for Funding in the Time of Coronavirus

Join New Enterprise Forum, and a panel of venture capital and angel investors for a discussion to help entrepreneurs understand investment challenges and opportunities during and post Covid-19 pandemic. This discussion will provide guidance and resources for entrepreneurs navigating through this unprecedented health and economic crisis.

Panelists:

Carolyn Cassin, General Partner & Co-Founder, BELLE Funds

In 2010 Carolyn and a group of 30 other Michigan women founded BELLE Capital/Michigan, of which she is the General Partner.   Over her thirty year career, Carolyn has started and grown two companies, and has been brought in to transform and turn around three more. She turned around a failing hospice organization in southeast Michigan and built it into the nation’s largest and one of the best-run hospices. She was then recruited to lead the first venture capital backed hospice company in the US, Vistacare, which became a publicly traded company in 2005.  Among many other awards, she has been named by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of “Detroit’s 100 Most Influential Women” and “Woman to Watch.”  Carolyn earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Western Michigan University, her BA from Miami University, and the esteemed three-year National Leadership Fellowship from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

 Kate Hernández, Principal, Detroit Venture Partners

Kate Hernández is a Principal at Detroit Venture Partners, a Detroit-based venture capital firm. Detroit Venture Partners specializes in backing seed and early stage start-ups. Ms. Hernández has worked in various professions including legal, banking, and management consulting. Ms. Hernández has also consulted for a Mexican venture capital firm based in Mexico City.  In her current role, Ms. Hernández sees an opportunity to further the role of women in technology.  She founded the Detroit chapter of SoGal – a non-profit dedicated to promoting and supporting female and diverse founders – and she is also is a member of the Global Women in VC Network. Ms. Hernández earned a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. She resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Camila Noordeloos, Principal, Grand Ventures

Camila is a Principal at Grand Rapids-based Grand Ventures. As a Principal she identifies promising investment opportunities across Grand Venture’s sectors of interest and works closely with portfolio companies driving strategy development and implementation. She also leads the firm’s operations and is responsible for managing all stages of the investment process from fundraising through portfolio management and exit. Camila has 10+ years of consulting, corporate and venture capital experience. Prior to joining Grand Ventures, Camila worked at General Electric holding management positions within finance, portfolio management and business strategy. She spent six years at GE Ventures, playing a crucial role in building the foundation for it to become one of the most active corporate venture capital firms in the country, and managing a portfolio of over 150 investment companies. She has also held operational roles in startups, including an extensive project with Zinc, a GE Ventures portfolio company acquired by ServiceMax, and Imaginare Studios, a company she co-founded with two MBA colleagues. Camila earned a BBA from the Universidade Federal da Bahia in Brazil and received her MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Moderator:

Stefan Sysko, Agitator, Disruptor, Contrarian, Sysko Thinking LLC

An entrepreneur with a diverse background and over 30 years of experience, Stefan is a consultant, advisor and mentor to start-ups and rapidly-growing businesses, helping turn ideas into focused, viable business plans. He serves as faculty and Business Advisor for Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program in Detroit, is past-president, current board member and coach at the New Enterprise Forum, and Lead Facilitator for TechTown Detroit’s Start Studio Accelerator and Incubator program. He serves on the boards of several startups, and serves as a mentor and judge for a variety of organizations, programs and pitch competitions.
 

REGISTER

The ONLINE ONLY meeting opens at 4:00 pm and will end at 5:30 PM.

Registration is required in order to obtain access to the online meeting. In your registration confirmation email, you will receive Zoom meeting link and password to join the meeting.

New Enterprise Forum invites anyone interested in entrepreneurship to join us for an ONLINE Forum Meeting.

During this unprecedented time, we want to continue to support our entrepreneurs and give them a chance to connect with the entrepreneurial community, even if it means being VIRTUAL in presenting their ideas and business plans.

We showcase an outstanding team of entrepreneurs who are looking to raise capital for their venture. They have gone through an extensive coaching from our experienced coaches and these founders are eager to present their venture to the entrepreneurial community at this event.

This event gives the start-up the opportunity to practice presenting to investors and others interested in the Detroit Area entrepreneurial community.  Each presentation will reflect NEF training on what is important to communicate and what not to do. They would greatly appreciate your feedback, insights and encouragement. You will also learn a few tips and techniques in sharpening your own pitch for your venture.

Join us at this ONLINE meeting to ask questions, keep pace with local entrepreneurs, and connect with people who support the local start-up community.

Thanks.

Vic Havele, President, New Enterprise Forum

Showcase Presenter

This month Robert Alexander, CEO of AuraLab, will share with us his experience developing and launching Breathscape, a meditation and mindfullness platform.

AuraLab

AuraLab LLC is focused on developing innovative technologies to promote Deep Slow Breathing, a clinically validated practice that reduces anxiety and promotes wellness. Stress is on the rise globally, and the U.S. is currently in the lead with some of the highest rates in the world. Breathscape™ is the first iOS application that accurately analyzes the breath in real-time and provides continuous biofeedback, effectively training individuals to relax the nervous system through Deep Slow Breathing. After extensive Beta testing with more than 500 users, Breathscape was released on the Apple store on 4/4/2020.

AuraLab was founded in 2018. Co-Founder and CEO Robert Alexander was formerly a NASA fellow, Dr. Alexander worked with scientists at Goddard Space Flight Center to transform our understanding of the sun and solar wind through auditory data analysis. Before launching AuraLab he worked as a Chief Innovation Officer at U of M, and for a year and a half he sat as the Psychology department chair for the MSc/MET program at the renowned HK PolyU School of Design where he lectured on Sound Design and Design Psychology.

Panel Discussion:

COVID-19 Pandemic - Resources for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs 

Join New Enterprise Forum, and a panel of legal and financial experts for a virtual discussion to help small businesses and entrepreneurs access important financial resources during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This discussion will focus on immediate needs of businesses and will provide guidance and resources for entrepreneurs navigating through this unprecedented health and economic crisis.

Speakers:

The ONLINE ONLY meeting opens at 4:00 pm and will end at 5:30 PM.

REGISTER HERE

Registration is required in order to obtain access to the online meeting. In your registration confirmation email, you will receive Zoom meeting link and password to join the meeting.

New Enterprise Forum invites anyone interested in entrepreneurship to join us at our monthly Forum to connect with entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and businesses.

Showcase Presenter

We showcase an outstanding team of entrepreneurs who are looking to raise capital for their venture. They have gone through an extensive coaching from our experienced coaches and these founders are eager to present their venture to the entrepreneurial community at this event.

This event gives the start-up the opportunity to practice presenting to investors and others interested in the Detroit Area entrepreneurial community.  Each presentation will reflect NEF training on what is important to communicate and what not to do. They would greatly appreciate your feedback, insights and encouragement. You will also learn a few tips and techniques in sharpening your own pitch for your venture.

Join us at this meeting to ask questions, keep pace with local entrepreneurs, and connect with people who support the local start-up community.

Connect to My Attorney

Peter J. Staver, CEO and Founder.  Connect To My Attorney (CTMA) has developed a disruptive solution that allows clients to search for, find and spontaneously connect with an attorney in a convenient, efficient and economical manner from their smart phones. CTMA is the only video App that provides an attorney/client online privileged communication from anywhere and, can be conducted in English, Spanish or Arabic. CTMA is a comprehensive WebRTC-based peer-to-peer, encrypted, connection between the client and attorney. Only the attorney and client can use the channel - the audio and video cannot be accessed by any other party, including the initiating server. CTMA’s application incorporates voice recognition, geo-location, encrypted document exchange, time monitoring, texting, and, can be utilized with up to 5 participants.

NEF Pitch Pit

Four entrepreneurs will each give a four-minute pitch of their business idea to a panel of investor judges in a “Shark Tank” format. Prototypes and visual aids are encouraged but no Power Point presentations. After each pitch, the judges will give detailed feedback and score the business. At the end of the evening, the person with the highest score will receive a $100 cash prize plus all additional prize money provided by the audience.

The entrepreneurs, selected from a large pool of applicants are:

• Ray Batra, Shift_Up. Shift_Up builds "learning gyms" -- physical spaces that support online learners -- because learning online is a fundamentally lonely experience. Adults like the flexibility of online courses, but they crave the support and camaraderie of in-person communities. Shift_Up provides affordable monthly memberships to a shared study space, live professional tutors, a peer community of learners, curated learning roadmaps, and events and networking opportunities.
• Liang Huang, Guarankey. Guarankey is a web based residential rental platform that integrates rental marketplace and property management solution to empower individual property investors and renters to handle all renting activities in one place.
• Jay Shah, Leelayan. Leelayan's invention (patent pending) No Bend Hands Free Shoes are designed to help compromised people. They can easily wear them without bending. People with back surgery, arthritis, diabetes, planters foot, etc. can wear No Bend shoes without bending.
• Michael Wiley, Global Inventions solutions and services. A patented unique wildfire control and containment device that will allow us to prevent wildfires from spreading. We can save homes lives property and most importantly we can save the lives of the firefighters.

A panel of three esteemed judges will provide feedback and score the teams. The judges are:

Faris Alami, Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management. 

International Strategic Management is an international strategic company focused on leadership, entrepreneurship and economic development.  Additionally, he is a consultant with the World Bank as an entrepreneurial ecosystem expert as well as a business advisor with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program at Wayne State University and Babson College. He also facilitates a program for high school students where they learn how to launch a global technology company, and mentors university students.
 
Alami has started several business in the past and turned around several other companies. He has served business incubators, accelerators, startups, nonprofit organizations, five-star resorts, national marketing companies, fledgling companies, and major department store chains, and lent his expertise to service, wholesale and retail companies.

Alami also works with several business incubators/accelerators. He has managed over 100 start-ups and planned, managed and directed entrepreneurial training, talent and several international initiatives (programs).

Paul F. Hickey, President and CEO, Vertebral Technologies, Inc., Minneapolis, MN.   

Paul held previous leadership roles with Reshape Lifesciences Inc., Lanx, Zimmer-Biomet and has over 20 years of medical device experience involving strategic planning, R&D, clinical, reimbursement, marketing, and budgeting/finance.  

Paul is a passionate entrepreneurial executive with a 25+ year record of achievement who thrives on challenges and the opportunity to make a difference. He has expertise leading all core functional disciplines including new business development, strategic alliances, marketing, clinical research, engineering, reimbursement, and change management. He us a highly creative thought leader with a unique blend of skills needed to rapidly and successfully develop and commercialize breakthrough therapies, devices and services. He has proven capability for leading, motivating, and developing teams of diverse backgrounds and expertise, across multiple operations.

Paul also serves on the Board of Excelen Center for Bone and Joint Research and Education in Minneapolis.  Paul earned his bachelors in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and earned his masters at Washington University in St. Louis.

Anne Perigo, Associate Director, Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

At the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, Anne Perigo manages the development and execution of a wide range of student programs, including the Michigan Business Challenge, the Dare to Dream Grant Program for student startups, the Marcel Gani internship program, and arranges for student participation in intercollegiate competitions, entrepreneurial conferences, and consultations with experienced entrepreneurs. Additionally, she holds individual office hours with students to discuss business concepts, program issues, and entrepreneurial concerns. Anne was previously the managing director for the Master of Entrepreneurship, a former initiative of the Ross School of Business and College of Engineering, Prior to joining the Zell Lurie Institute, she held positions in education with Ann Arbor Public Schools, and in commercial lending with NBD Bank (now JPMorgan Chase). Anne has also accrued experience through volunteer work, including grant writing and coordinating special arts collaborations between Ann Arbor Public Schools, University of Michigan faculty, and local arts organizations. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the New Enterprise Forum.

Anne is a proud alumna of the University of Michigan with a BBA from the Ross School of Business.

Agenda:

Mark your calendar. The meeting opens at 5:00 pm with networking and appetizers. Around 5:45 pm, the program portion of the meeting begins with an introduction from our President including upcoming entrepreneurial events and past NEF Showcase Presenter news. The program continues with our featured Showcase Presenter(s) who are graduates of the NEF coaching process. Depending on the month or otherwise noted, the program includes the engaging NEF Pitch Pit or intriguing topic and panel. The program typically finishes at 7:15 pm with more networking afterwards. Please feel welcome to join us.

REGISTER

The event is FREE. Registration is not required but recommended for planning purposes.

New Enterprise Forum invites anyone interested in entrepreneurship to join us at our monthly Forum to connect with entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and businesses.

2019 GAMIC Winner Presentations

This month we are presenting two winners from the 2019 Global Automotive Mobility Innovation Competition held at Cobo Center during SAE WCX'19 in April 2019. Several NEF coaches volunteered their time to coach GAMIC semifinalists and finalists during the competition year from Nov 2018 to April 2019.

These founders are eager to present their venture to the entrepreneurial community at this event. They would greatly appreciate your feedback, insights and encouragement. You will also learn a few tips and techniques in sharpening your own pitch for your venture. This event gives the start-up the opportunity to practice presenting to investors and others interested in the Detroit Area entrepreneurial community.

Join us at this meeting to ask questions, keep pace with local entrepreneurs, and connect with people who support the local start-up community.

S3D Precision Dispensing

Michael Vitek, CEO & Co-Founder. S3D creates specialty print heads and compound ink formulas that enable the manufacturing of flexible, embedded sensors, actuators, and electronics onto contoured and textured surfaces. S3D provides the enabling technology for next-generation electronics.

Orbitless Drives

Robert Eisses, CEO. Orbitless is a patented, novel low-loss gearbox platform enabling ultra-low noise, super high-efficiency gear-heads ideally suited for electric motor applications.

PANEL DISCUSSION: Gaining Early Traction - Go To Market and First Revenue

In addition, we have a panel of experts who will guide you through the challenge every entrepreneur faces when ready to raise money. You need to show some traction - a pilot, a customer or some early adoption. For that you need to devise an effective Go-To-Market strategy and demonstrate to investors how you intend to execute through well-thought-out marketing, sales and financial plans. 

Our panelists will discuss what works and what doesn't, and share those insights with our audience. We hope that this will be of great interest and value to founders and it will be a dynamic discussion between investors, founders and the audience.

Panelists:

Jonathan Murray, Venture Partner, Draper Triangle Ventures

After double-majoring in English Literature and Biology, Jonathan experimented with careers in journalism in Washington, D.C. (his hometown) and in advertising with major agencies in New York. At the University of Michigan, he founded his first business and discovered a love of entrepreneurship. After receiving his MBA, he spent ten years in Silicon Valley, which included a successful 7-year stint at Spectra Laboratories, where he headed marketing and software development. Fresenius Medical Care purchased the Company in 2007 for $140 million. Jonathan was then recruited to be President of Volk Optical, in Cleveland, which returned him to the Midwest, where he has lived ever since. In 2001 he co-founded Early Stage Partners, an early stage venture capital fund that invested $100 million from two funds. In 2014 Jonathan joined Draper Triangle, opened the firm’s Michigan office, and relocated to Michigan.

Jeff Ponders II, Entrepreneur-In-Residence, TechTown Detroit

Modern-Day Batman. Entrepreneurial, strategic leader producing high-value products & services for consumers and brands. A renaissance man driven by a passion for leading teams, learning, problem-solving, creative expression, and win-win relationships. Believes in the marriage of effective strategy and compelling creative solutions to add value to clients and partners. Keynote Speaker, Innovation Leader, professional Jazz Saxophonist, Managing Partner, The Better Company. Jeff graduated from the Wharton School with a Bachelor in Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management.

S. Sriram, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Ross Marketing Department, Associate Professor of Marketing

Professor Sriram’s research interests are in the areas of brand and product portfolio management, monetizing content, and healthcare. His research has spanned industries including consumer packaged goods, technology products and services, retailing, news media, user-generated content, MOOCs, and the interface of healthcare and marketing. His research has been published in journals such as Marketing Science, Management Science, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Quantitative Marketing and Economics and the International Journal for Research in Marketing.  He serves as Associate Editor at the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Marketing Research, and on the editorial review boards of Marketing Science and Quantitative Marketing and Economics. Sriram obtained his Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of technology and a Ph.D. in Marketing from Purdue University.

Sean Carroll, Co-Founder, EnBiologics

Sean is an entrepreneur and engineer from the Detroit area. After graduating with a BS in chemical engineering and while working on a MS in biomedical engineering from Wayne State, he enrolled in TechTown’s summer start-up accelerator, DTX Launch Detroit, and started EnBiologics with Ramy Habib. They started the company after doing a project to develop better care for pediatric burn care. While in the program they pivoted from a niche section of pediatric burn care to more general care, and then to veterinary care. The company has achieved early traction in the small pet space with HoneyCure, the first all-natural clinically-proven veterinary wound care product.

Ramy Habib, Co-Founder, EnBiologics

Experienced Product Development Lead with a demonstrated history of working in the biotechnology industry. Skilled in Method Development, Medical Devices, Spectroscopy, and Clinical Data Management. Ramy is a committed entrepreneur with a Master of Science focused in Biomedical Engineering from Wayne State University. 

Moderator:

Stefan Sysko, Agitator, Disruptor, Contrarian, Sysko Thinking LLC

An entrepreneur with a diverse background and over 25 years of experience, Stefan is a consultant, advisor and mentor to start-ups and rapidly-growing businesses, helping turn ideas into focused, viable business plans. He serves as faculty and Business Advisor for Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program in Detroit, is past-president, Program Committee Chair and coach at the New Enterprise Forum, and Lead Facilitator for TechTown’s DTX Launch Detroit Summer Accelerator. He serves on the boards of several startups, and serves as a coach, mentor and judge for a variety of organizations, programs and pitch competitions.

Agenda:

Mark your calendar. The meeting opens at 5:00 pm with networking and appetizers. Around 5:45 pm, the program portion of the meeting begins with an introduction from our President including upcoming entrepreneurial events and past NEF Showcase Presenter news. The program continues with our featured Showcase Presenter(s) who are graduates of the NEF coaching process. Depending on the month or otherwise noted, the program includes the engaging NEF Pitch Pit or intriguing topic and panel. The program typically finishes at 7:15 pm with more networking afterwards. Please feel welcome to join us.

Register

The event is FREE. Registration is not required but recommended for planning purposes.

New Enterprise Forum invites anyone interested in entrepreneurship to join us at our monthly Forum to connect with entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and businesses.

Showcase Presentation

We showcase an outstanding team of entrepreneurs who are looking to raise capital for their venture. They have gone through extensive coaching from our experienced coaches and these founders are eager to present their venture to the entrepreneurial community at this event. They would greatly appreciate your feedback, insights and encouragement. You will also learn a few tips and techniques in sharpening your own pitch for your venture.

This event gives the start-up the opportunity to practice presenting to investors and others interested in the Detroit Area entrepreneurial community. Each presentation will reflect NEF training on what is important to communicate and what not to do.

Join us at this meeting to ask questions, keep pace with local entrepreneurs, and connect with people who support the local start-up community.

Life Magnetics

Kevin Hagedorn, Ph. D., President. Life Magnetics manufactures products for processing, storage, and transport of RNA. RNA testing accounts for 40% molecular testing in medical diagnostic labs and research labs, but it's a difficult molecule to work with. Unlike DNA, which is stable for hundreds of years, RNA is stable for only 28 minutes. RNA shipping and transport is set to become a major obstacle for biopharma as RNA drugs and RNA diagnostics are predicted to be two of the biggest growth sectors. The company has the best solution to date for this 40-year-old problem with NASA proposing to use the product on a mission to the International Space Station in 2020.

Kevin is a materials scientist with nine issued patents and seven peer reviewed publications. His expertise is using physics simulations to design materials, devices, and products. He's applied this expertise to a diverse range of problems including the design of solar cells, laser cutting and welding equipment, and now to the transport and storage of RNA for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. He's won two small business grants from the National Science Foundation to develop the product.

PANEL DISCUSSION: Raising Money Locally: Current Trends and Opportunities

In addition, we have a panel of experts who will guide you through current trends in funding, especially funding the early stage deals.

Have you ever wondered what the right steps are to raise startup capital? When you feel "Doomed, Frustrated" and continue to seek funding deals, you don't see too many options. Our experienced panel will 'tell all' the ins and outs of the funding opportunities and challenges in the deal process in this don't miss panel discussion.

We intend to discuss various options available to raise money for your startup. In this month's forum, we want to focus on what founders can do to raise startup capital above and beyond traditional sources of investments. We hope that this will be of greater interest and value to founders and it will be a dynamic discussion between investors, founders and the audience.

Panelists:

Rob Burnett, Business Development Team, Netcapital, Boston, MA

Rob Burnett is an entrepreneur and member of the business development team at Netcapital. A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Rob has been at various times a founder, student startup attorney, Techstars associate, and venture capital associate. He has worked with over 50 companies helping them prepare for fundraising and close investors. In his current role at Netcapital, Rob helps companies of all sizes take advantage of the JOBS Act to raise capital and build a loyal community.

Ray Waters, President, Detroit Development Fund and Managing Director, Detroit Community Loan Fund, Detroit, MI

Ray Waters has been involved with DDF and the DCLF for the past 13 years.  DDF and the DCLF provide growth capital to businesses in Detroit. DDF has grown from a $2 million in loan capability to managing $23 million loan capital. Since inception DDF has loaned and invested $35 million dollars to Detroit companies and projects. Ray provides strategic direction and overall management of DDF, including planning, fund-raising, supervising staff, reporting to the Board of Directors, and meeting with all external investors.

Prior to his involvement with the DDF,  he was a Managing Partner of BBC Ventures. From 1990 – 1999, he served as President of Horizon BIDCO Investment Company, a mezzanine venture fund providing growth capital for companies in Southeastern Michigan. His business career also includes over 20 years experience as CEO and owner of three profitable growth companies, two of which were start up ventures.  He served on the Small Business Advisory Board for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He has also served on the National Advertising and Franchise Committee of the Hertz Corporation, and the National Distributor Board of the Adolph Coors Company. Mr. Waters has been highly involved in local business communities and organizations.

Kevin Wittrup, Venture Partner, RSVP Capital, Bloomfield Hills, MI

As an early stage entrepreneur and venture partner at RSVP Capital, Kevin has been a key operator in several early stage and technology commercialization ventures, most recently BIOVIGIL Hygiene Technologies. As the co-founder and CEO of BIOVIGIL from 2011-2017, Kevin led the effort to commercialize a sophisticated healthcare technology product and build a team that operationalized the diverse aspects of the business including product development, cloud data applications, installation and maintenance services, clinical implementation and support services, and manufacturing. Kevin is also an active member of the managing board at Advanced Battery Concepts. ABC is a battery technology company based in Claire, MI. that has developed a disruptive bipolar battery technology. Kevin holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Christina York, Founder and CEO of SpellBound, Ann Arbor, MI

SpellBound is an Ann Arbor-based technology startup that is anchoring the $95Bn augmented reality industry in the Midwest. SpellBound is a therapeutic tool that uses augmented reality technology to calm children before medical procedures and increase their cooperation with treatment. SpellBound’s 3D experiences are being used in top-tier pediatric hospitals to distract during painful procedures and encourage motor skill rehabilitation, reducing trauma for children and cost of care for hospitals.

Christina comes from a user experience background and spent 15 years designing technology solutions for health care and higher ed, building high-performing teams and managing 7-figure budgets. She holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and a Master’s in Information Science and is active in the STEM movement in southeastern Michigan.

Moderator:

Bill Mayer, Vice President, Entrepreneurial Services, Spark, Ann Arbor, MI
Bill Mayer has founded and exited multiple start-ups in the technology and finance sectors. His areas of expertise are in finance, securities and quantitative analysis. He has founded and worked with numerous businesses covering a broad range of industry sectors, ranging from start-up ventures through Fortune 500 companies. Client engagements have covered a broad range of services including market strategy, portfolio structure, and the IPO process. Bill has managed over $125 million in client assets.

Areas of specialty are financial modeling, pricing strategies, the process of private and public equity securitization, management of business assets, and fundraising. He has extensive experience in creating financial models, business valuations, and capitalization tables, as well as navigating advanced business tax issues and the complex issues surrounding securitization. This allows Bill to effectively position clients from an investor’s viewpoint in order to maximize a venture’s ability to receive funding. Bill has held multiple securities broker licenses for over ten years. This positions him to facilitate the placement of capital directly. Bill holds a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Agenda:

Mark your calendar. The meeting opens at 5:00 pm with networking and appetizers. Around 5:45 pm, the program portion of the meeting begins with an introduction from our President including upcoming entrepreneurial events and past NEF Showcase Presenter news. The program continues with our featured Showcase Presenter(s) who are graduates of the NEF coaching process. Depending on the month or otherwise noted, the program includes the engaging NEF Pitch Pit or intriguing topic and panel. The program typically finishes at 7:15 pm with more networking afterwards. Please feel welcome to join us.

Register

The event is FREE. Registration is not required but recommended for planning purposes.